The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is urging residents to take precautions to prevent infection from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium found naturally in warm coastal waters.
So far in 2026, nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus have been reported among Louisiana residents. All nine patients were hospitalized, and five died. During the same period over the previous 10 years, Louisiana reported an average of seven cases and one death.
All nine cases reported this year were associated with wounds exposed to seawater, and all patients had underlying health conditions.
Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and are found in higher numbers from May to October, when water temperatures are warmer. Infection can occur when an open wound is exposed to brackish or salt water or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters.
Vibrio infection can result in gastrointestinal illness, wound infection, or blood poisoning (bloodstream infection).
Some species, including Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections. People with severe infections may require intensive care or limb amputation. About one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.
Anyone can get a Vibrio infection, but the risk of severe complications is highest among people who:
- Have liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia
- Receive immune-suppressing treatment
- Take medicine that reduces stomach acid
- Have recently undergone stomach surgery
Signs of Vibrio wound infection include:
- Fever
- Redness, pain, swelling, or warmth around the wound
- Skin discoloration
- Drainage or discharge
Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm, or discolored. Tell the health care provider about the water exposure.
Signs of a bloodstream infection include fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure, and blistering skin lesions.
Common gastrointestinal symptoms of Vibrio infection include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.
How to reduce your risk
- Stay out of brackish or salt water if you have an open wound, including cuts, scrapes, recent surgery wounds, or piercings.
- Cover wounds with a waterproof bandage if they could come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.
- Wash wounds thoroughly with soap and after possible exposure.
- Cook seafood thoroughly, especially if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or have certain medical conditions like liver or stomach disorders.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.
- Keep cooked seafood separate from raw seafood and its juices.
If you are in a high-risk group, you should also:
- Wear protective clothing and footwear to help prevent cuts and scrapes in coastal water.
- Wear gloves when handling raw seafood.
LDH recently launched the Public Health Data Spotlight, a centralized resource for timely public health updates and disease surveillance information. Starting this week, LDH will publish Vibrio vulnificus case data weekly on the Public Health Data Spotlight webpage.
More information
