Rare Flesh-Eating Bacteria Claims Fifth Life in Louisiana

Key TakeawaysA fifth person in Louisiana has died from Vibrio vulnificus in 2025The state usually sees only one death a year but has reported 26 cases so farInfections are linked to warm waters.MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Louisiana health officials have confirmed a fifth death this year linked to Vibrio vulnificus, a rare and dangerous flesh-eating bacteria found in warm coastal waters.The bacteria is most common between May and October, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can lead to severe illness, including necrotizing fasciitis, a fast-spreading infection that destroys tissue.About 1 in 5 people with this infection die.It is not yet clear how the latest victim became infected. Two of the state’s deaths earlier this year were tied to eating raw oysters, officials noted. People can also become sick if contaminated seawater enters an open wound."It's not just a Gulf Coast phenomenon any longer," Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health, told CBS News."Global warming is moving infections with Vibrio vulnificus up the East Coast," he added.Cases are on the rise across the region. Louisiana normally reports about seven infections and one death each year. In 2025, the state has already confirmed 26 cases.Neighboring states have also reported infections: 10 in Alabama, three in Mississippi (one fatal) and 13 in Florida, where eight people died. Cases have even been detected as far north as Massachusetts.Health officials urge people to avoid raw or undercooked seafood and to keep wounds away from warm coastal waters.More informationThe Cleveland Clinic has more on Vibrio vulnificus.SOURCE: CBS News, Sept. 19, 2025.What This Means For YouVibrio vulnificus infections can be deadly. People can protect themselves by avoiding raw shellfish and staying out of warm coastal waters if they have open wounds..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Rare Flesh-Eating Bacteria Claims Fifth Life in Louisiana

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