Gulf Coast health officials alert public to Vibrio vulnificus risk

Health authorities along the Gulf Coast are warning residents and visitors about Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that lives in warm salt- and brackish-water environments. The pathogen can cause serious wound infections when open cuts are exposed to contaminated water and can also be contracted by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters.

"It's natural to the environment. The only thing that's really kind of changed is the temperature. So as water temperature increases as it's hotter, then we see more of these bacteria around," Dr. Jeffrey D. Cirillo of Texas A&M University College of Medicine told the Associated Press. "The other things that can increase the frequency of Vibrio in the water system is flooding and any types of major weather patterns like hurricanes and so on."

The bacteria multiply rapidly and release toxins that may enter the bloodstream, leading to sepsis or necrotizing fasciitis, a condition in which tissue around a wound dies. Symptoms of a serious infection include escalating pain, redness, swelling, warmth, discoloration, discharge, blistering, and fever. The CDC advises immediate medical care; treatment typically involves antibiotics, with intravenous therapy for systemic cases.

People with compromised immune systems or chronic liver disease are at higher risk of severe outcomes. State health departments have reported rising case numbers this year, with Florida documenting 14 confirmed infections and two deaths, and Louisiana reporting nine cases and five deaths. Historically, spikes in infections have followed major hurricanes that raise water temperatures and cause flooding.