Overview

• State officials reported the two fatal cases at a Louisiana Oyster Task Force meeting, tracing both to oysters harvested in Louisiana and served at restaurants in Louisiana and Florida.
• Louisiana has logged six deaths and 34 infections from Vibrio vulnificus in 2025, the highest in a decade, compared with an annual average of seven cases and one death over the past 10 years.
• Most 2025 Louisiana cases involved open-wound exposure to salt or brackish water, while a smaller share, including the two deaths, followed consumption of raw oysters.
• The CDC warns that about one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus die and urges immediate medical care for rapidly worsening skin infections or severe gastrointestinal illness after exposure.
• Florida has reported 23 Vibrio vulnificus cases and five deaths this year, and researchers say expanding, warmer habitats are increasing risks for coastal residents and raw shellfish consumers.