NEW ORLEANS, Aug 29, 2025 — As of August 28, 2025, health authorities confirmed two additional deaths linked to oysters contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus. These deaths raise the total in Louisiana to six and in Florida to five. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 14 new infections since late July, contributing to these totals.
Officials report that the contaminated oysters were harvested in Louisiana and served in both Louisiana and Florida locations. These new fatalities follow multiple earlier cases of infection across Gulf Coast states earlier this summer.
Vibrio vulnificus lives in coastal and brackish waters. It enters oysters because these shellfish filter water as they feed. People can become infected by consuming raw or undercooked shellfish or through open wounds exposed to water. The bacterium can cause vibriosis, which may lead to severe conditions such as bloodstream infections and necrotizing fasciitis—a serious infection where soft tissues die.
In one known severe case earlier in the season, a Mississippi man, age 77, contracted Vibrio vulnificus by scratching his leg on a boat trailer. His condition progressed to septic shock, and he died on July 21.
Additional cases this season have included a Gulf Coast man who lost his leg after a Vibrio vulnificus infection following a minor boat trailer scrape. The infection progressed rapidly, and surgical amputation was required to save his life.
Vibriosis can manifest differently depending on how the bacterium enters the body. Infection through the digestive route may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever. If the bacterium enters through a wound, the infection may present with swelling, redness, fever, and discharge. In bloodstream infections, symptoms can include fever, chills, very low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Vibrio infections result in approximately 80,000 illnesses annually in the United States. The bacteria become more active in warmer months, typically between May and October. In Louisiana, this year’s infection rate far exceeds the usual. The Louisiana Department of Health previously recorded 17 cases with four deaths by late July. In comparison, the annual average over the past decade was about seven infections and one death per year.
Following the rise in cases, Louisiana health officials issued an advisory on July 31 urging residents to take precautions, particularly regarding raw or undercooked oysters and water exposure with open wounds.
(Rh/Eth/MSM)
