Texas coroner warns of severe Vibrio vulnificus infections near Southeast Texas

The coroner for Calcasieu Parish in Louisiana has warned that Vibrio vulnificus infections in the region have resulted in amputations and fatalities, urging people near Southeast Texas to take precautions when contacting coastal water. > "We have had a few patients in the area, Calcasieu and Cameron area, some resulting in amputation and death," said Dr. Joseph Dressler, the parish coroner.

Texas Department of State Health Services data obtained by a local TV station indicate four confirmed cases of the bacterium in the state during 2026, including one in the public-health region that covers Jefferson, Orange and Hardin counties as well as the Houston area. The agency noted that the 2025 and 2026 figures are provisional and that infections typically rise during the summer and fall, so the current total does not represent a full-year count.

Louisiana health officials have reported nine infections and five deaths linked to open wounds exposed to seawater, with all patients having underlying health conditions. Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacterium in warm coastal and brackish waters, and it can enter the body through open cuts, burns, surgical sites or by consuming raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate a mortality rate of about 20 % for those infected.

Symptoms of a wound infection include increasing redness, swelling, severe pain, blistering, drainage, fever or chills. Health authorities advise people with open wounds to avoid salt or brackish water, cover any cuts with waterproof bandages, wash wounds thoroughly after possible exposure, wear gloves when handling raw seafood and cook shellfish completely. Routine beach water quality tests in Texas do not screen for Vibrio vulnificus.