Five people in Louisiana have died in 2025 from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm coastal waters, state officials have confirmed. The number of deaths substantially exceeds the annual average of one death recorded over the past decade.
As of Wednesday, at least 26 people had been infected with the bacterium, with every case requiring hospitalisation. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 85% of infections involved wounds exposed to seawater, and 92% of those infected had at least one underlying health condition.
The increase comes amid warnings from scientists that Vibrio infections are becoming more common due to rising sea surface temperatures linked to the climate crisis. The bacteria thrive in warm coastal waters and are most prevalent between May and October.
Infections can occur when an open wound is exposed to seawater or through consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. About one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus die, sometimes within two days of symptoms appearing. Survivors may require limb amputation or intensive care.
The case of Basil Kennedy, 77, who died after scraping his leg on a boat trailer in Bay St Louis, Mississippi, highlights the risks. His daughter, Kay Kennedy Regimbal, urged public education on the dangers, stating: 'There doesn’t need to be fear of the water, but there really needs to be an education and understanding of how to be prepared.'
Symptoms of infection include gastrointestinal illness, severe wounds, and in bloodstream infections, fever, blistering, and dangerously low blood pressure. The US typically reports 150 to 200 cases annually, with most occurring in Gulf Coast states.
