Five people in Louisiana have died in 2025 from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm coastal waters, state health officials said. The deaths substantially exceed the annual average of one death per year over the past decade.
As of Wednesday, at least 26 people had been infected with the bacterium, all requiring hospitalisation. Of those cases, 85% involved wounds exposed to seawater, and 92% of the infected had at least one underlying health condition, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The rise in cases comes amid warnings from researchers that Vibrio infections are becoming more common due to rising sea surface temperatures linked to the climate crisis. Vibrio bacteria thrive in warm coastal waters and are most prevalent between May and October.
Infection can occur when an open wound is exposed to seawater or through consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. About one in five people who contract Vibrio vulnificus die, sometimes within two days of symptoms. Survivors may require limb amputation or intensive care.
The death of Basil Kennedy, 77, of New Orleans, highlighted the risks. He contracted the bacterium after scraping his leg on a boat trailer in Bay St Louis, Mississippi, in July. Despite cleaning and bandaging the wound and avoiding water, his health declined sharply within three days, and he died. His daughter, Kay Kennedy Regimbal, urged public education on risks rather than fear of water.
Symptoms of Vibrio infection include gastrointestinal illness, severe wound infection, fever, blistering, and dangerously low blood pressure. The US typically reports 150 to 200 cases annually, with about half occurring in Gulf Coast states. Louisiana and Florida have reported the most cases and deaths this year.
