Deadly 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria Kills 6 As Alerts Issued In Multiple States
Health officials have urged caution around coastal waters and raw oysters amid deadly Vibrio vulnificus infections.
Six people have died from the flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus in Louisiana and Florida this year, bringing the combined death toll in the two states to six. The Louisiana Department of Health reported nine cases among state residents, with all patients hospitalized and five dying, all associated with wounds exposed to seawater and underlying health conditions.
Florida has recorded 12 cases and one death, with the fatality being the state’s first linked to the bacterium in 2026. Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in coastal waters and can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a condition that can lead to tissue death. About one in five people infected with the bacterium die, sometimes within one or two days of becoming ill.
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