Bacteria “flesh eaters” continue to live this summer. Louisiana health officials reported this week that two other people died Vibrio Infections this month, potentially caused by the consumption of contaminated oysters.
The Louisiana health department announced the last deaths at a meeting of the working group on the Louisiana oyster which was held on Tuesday. The two deaths are linked to the oysters collected in the state, but the oysters were eaten in restaurants separated from Louisiana and Florida. Louisiana and other states have seen an unusually high number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths linked to bacteria this summer.
“It’s simply prolific at the moment,” said Jennifer Armentor, the administrator of the Crustaceans of Molluscs in the Health Department, to members of the working group, Florida Phoenix reported on Wednesday.
Something in the water
Several species of Vibrio Bacteria are able to detach themselves from people, including the holder of cholera. So -called flesh infections are generally caused by Vibrio vulnificusHowever.
When these bacteria enter the body, they can cause a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, which quickly kills the skin and tissues surrounding the infection. The “eaten of flesh” part is an improper term, because bacteria do not literally feed on the skin, but it is nevertheless a very dangerous infection. Even with available antibiotic treatment, about one in five people V. Vulnificus Deadline yourself, sometimes in the start day of the symptoms.
V. Vulnificus Bacteria live in warm salt or brackish waters, and most of the infections are contracted by bringing bacteria into an open wound in these waters. A small minority of infections (around 10%) can also be transmitted by eating raw or insufficient seafood contaminated by bacteria. Whatever it is contracted, 2025 looks like a particularly active year to V. Vulnificus.
A summer eater of flesh
During a typical year, around 150 to 200 cases of V. Vulnificus are reported to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But several states along the Gulf coast and in the northeast of the United States reported an unusual overabundance of infections in 2025. At least 22 residents of Louisiana were hospitalized with bacteria this year, according to health officials, while six deaths took place (including the death of Florida).
It is well above the average of seven cases and a death reported in the state each year in the last decade. North Carolina has also experienced a count of cases larger than usual, while states that rarely report cases have also known this year, including Massachusetts. Florida counting this year (23 cases and five deaths) remains in historical trends but has almost doubled in recent weeks.
Although it is not clear which specifically triggers this year’s overvoltage, factors such as climate change and more frequent extreme weather events have made these infections more common over time. Last year, for example, the consequences of Hurricane Helene sparked a record number of cases in Florida.
Infection
Fortunately, people can limit their risk of these infections by simple preventive measures. You should avoid salt or brackish water if you wear an open cut, for example, or at least wear a waterproof bandage before getting into the water. You should also carefully wash all the cuts exposed to raw water or seafood.
Ideally, you should also cook all raw oysters or other seafood, and always wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw seafood. And if you are developing a worsening of the skin infection around your cuts after these exhibitions, you should request immediate medical care.
