Cases of a flesh-eating bacteria are on the rise in Louisiana, according to a state public health warning.
The Louisiana Department of Health has issued a warning about the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, which thrives in warm water off the coast.
To date this year, nine cases have been reported to the state. All were hospitalized and five have died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The average over the past 10 years has been seven cases and one death.
🇺🇸 Louisiana is on high alert after a terrifying spike in flesh-eating bacterial infections 💀
5 people have already died this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a brutal bug that’s hitting the state much harder than normal.
9 cases reported so far, all linked to wounds exposed to… pic.twitter.com/xjGPmucGsm
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 8, 2026
All the cases involved individuals who had open wounds that were exposed to seawater, and all had underlying health issues.
Would you visit the beach when a warning like this is in place?
Infections from the bacteria can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, in which the flesh around an open wound dies, hence the nickname “flesh-eating bacteria,” according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Vibrio bacteria population peaks from May through October as coastal waters get warmer.
The main ways infection takes place are when a wound is hit with sea water or an individual eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters.
Severe infections can lead to amputations. About 20 percent of those infected die, often within 48 hours or less of being infected, the CDC warned.
URGENT: Louisiana just confirmed 5 deaths from flesh eating bacteria this year.
9 total cases of Vibrio vulnificus.
Every single one started with an open wound exposed to seawater.
All patients had underlying conditions.
Numbers already beating the 10-year average.
This bacteria… pic.twitter.com/YjjQmKTKVh— Abila Junior (@junior_abila) August 9, 2026
Louisiana officials warned that individuals should seek treatment immediately if “a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored.”
State officials also advised people with open wounds to avoid coastal waters, and to wash wounds thoroughly after getting out of the water if they go into the sea.
Louisiana is not alone. Florida has recorded its second death related to Vibrio vulnificus, according to WFLA-TV.
A second person in Florida has died this year after contracting Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacterium found naturally in warm coastal waters, according to state health officials. https://t.co/WJEgVwaEpw
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) August 9, 2026
Florida announced that one death took place in Palm Beach County; the other occurred in Marion County.
Florida has reported 14 cases to date this year.
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