Overview
- State health officials report 26 confirmed infections this year in Louisiana, and every patient required hospitalization.
- The death confirmed on Sept. 16 pushes fatalities well above the recent annual average of one reported by the state.
- Investigations indicate 85% of cases followed seawater exposure of a wound, 92% of patients had an underlying condition, and two deaths were linked to raw oysters.
- The CDC notes about one in five Vibrio vulnificus infections are fatal and severe cases can progress rapidly to necrotizing fasciitis or require amputation.
- Other jurisdictions report cases this season, including 10 in Alabama, three in Mississippi with one death, and 13 in Florida with eight deaths, with infections also documented as far north as Massachusetts.