Beachgoers on Edge After ‘Flesh-Eating’ Bacteria Kills Five 

Five people in Louisiana have died this year after contracting a dangerous “flesh-eating” bacteria found in warm coastal waters, prompting health officials to warn beachgoers to be especially careful this summer.

Louisiana has reported nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus so far in 2026, and every patient required hospitalization, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Five of those patients died.

Health officials said all nine infections were connected to wounds that were exposed to seawater. Every person who became infected also had at least one underlying health condition.

The numbers are unusually high for Louisiana.

During the same period over the previous 10 years, the state averaged roughly seven cases and just one death, according to health officials.

Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria found in warm coastal and brackish waters, where fresh and salt water mix. It becomes more common during the warmer months, particularly between May and October.

The bacteria is sometimes referred to as “flesh-eating” because severe infections can cause rapidly spreading damage to skin and soft tissue.

People can become infected in several ways.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many Vibrio infections are linked to eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters.

But the bacteria can also enter the body when an open wound, cut or scrape comes into contact with coastal water, raw seafood or juices from raw seafood.

That appears to be what happened in all nine Louisiana cases reported this year.

While Vibrio vulnificus infections remain relatively rare, health officials warn that they can become life-threatening extremely quickly.

The bacteria can cause an illness known as vibriosis, which may lead to vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

When the bacteria infects a wound, symptoms can include redness, swelling, intense pain, warmth, discoloration and fluid or discharge around the affected area.

In the most serious cases, the infection can spread into the bloodstream, causing fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, septic shock and blistering skin lesions.

About one in five people who develop a Vibrio vulnificus infection die, according to the CDC. Some patients can deteriorate within just one or two days of becoming sick.

Severe cases may require hospitalization, powerful antibiotics, intensive care and emergency surgery. In some situations, doctors may have to amputate an infected limb to stop the bacteria from spreading.

Certain people face a much greater risk of severe illness, including those with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or thalassemia.

People taking medications that weaken or suppress the immune system are also considered particularly vulnerable.

Healthy people generally have a lower risk of developing a severe infection.

Louisiana health officials are now urging anyone with an open wound to stay out of saltwater and brackish water whenever possible.

If contact with coastal water cannot be avoided, wounds should be completely covered with a waterproof bandage.

Officials are also warning people not to eat raw oysters or other raw shellfish and to make sure juices from uncooked seafood do not contaminate other foods.

Anyone handling raw shellfish is advised to wear protective gloves.

Beachgoers should pay close attention to wounds after spending time in coastal waters.

Anyone who notices fever, increasing redness, swelling, warmth, pain, discoloration or discharge around a wound after being in the water should seek medical care immediately.

Early treatment can be critical because Vibrio vulnificus infections are capable of progressing with frightening speed.

Louisiana is not the only Southern state seeing an increase.

Florida has also reported a rise in Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, with 14 cases and two deaths recorded so far in 2026.

The growing number of cases is serving as a stark reminder for Americans heading to beaches and coastal waters during the hottest stretch of summer: even a seemingly minor cut or scrape can become dangerous when exposed to bacteria-filled warm seawater.