Overview

• Florida has confirmed 13 Vibrio vulnificus cases with eight deaths in 2025, while Louisiana has recorded 17 cases and four deaths, and North Carolina and Mississippi report seven and three infections respectively.
• The CDC has designated a third-generation cephalosporin such as ceftazidime plus doxycycline as first-line therapy for suspected Vibrio vulnificus infections.
• Clinicians must notify local health departments when encountering cases as the infection is now reportable under updated state guidelines.
• Officials attribute the surge to record-warm coastal waters and recent extreme weather events that expand Vibrio habitats along the Gulf Coast.
• Vibrio vulnificus can infect individuals through open wounds in salt or brackish water or by ingesting raw shellfish, causing rapidly progressive necrotizing fasciitis with high mortality.