Health officials in Louisiana have reported 17 cases of Vibrio vulnificus bacterial infections in 2025. All the cases required hospitalization and four resulted in death.
The state has seen an average of seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death per year during the same time period over the past decade, according to a July 31 news release from the Louisiana Department of Health.
In Florida, health officials have confirmed 13 Vibrio vulnificus cases and four deaths in 2025.
Vibrio vulnificus infections can result in gastrointestinal illness, wound infection or blood poisoning. Some infections may lead to necrotizing fasciitis, contributing to the species’ “flesh-eating” association, according to the CDC.
About 80,000 cases of Vibrio, of which Vibrio vulnificus is one species, are reported each year. An estimated 52,000 cases are the result of eating contaminated food, according to the CDC.
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