Five Louisiana Residents Die After Vibrio vulnificus Infections Linked to Seawater Exposure

Louisiana health officials said five residents died this year after contracting Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that thrives in warm, brackish water, through wounds that came into contact with seawater. Four additional people were hospitalized with the same infection, all of which were linked to open wounds exposed to the water, officials reported.

The bacterium, which can also be transmitted by eating undercooked shellfish such as oysters, is most common from May through October when sea temperatures rise. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency project a 50 percent increase in U.S. Vibrio infections by 2090 compared with 1995, attributing the trend to warming oceans.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 80,000 cases of vibriosis occur annually in the United States, with Vibrio vulnificus responsible for a significant share and a mortality rate of roughly 20 percent. Symptoms range from gastrointestinal distress to bloodstream infection, which can cause low blood pressure and skin lesions.

All nine Louisiana patients had underlying health conditions that heightened their risk of severe outcomes. Similar cases have been reported in other states; Florida recorded two deaths and 14 illnesses this year, while researchers in New York detected the bacterium in coastal waters off Long Island.

Louisiana officials advised people with open wounds to avoid contact with brackish or saltwater and to wash any exposed areas thoroughly with soap. They also recommended cooking seafood fully and keeping cooked products separate from raw seafood and its juices.