by Elise Plunk, Florida Phoenix
August 27, 2025

A Louisiana health official reported two more deaths from the flesh-eating vibrio bacteria, which were among 14 infections recorded this month. It brings the state’s fatality count attributed to the pathogen this year to six.

The two most recent deaths involved people who ate oysters harvested in Louisiana at two separate restaurants — one in Louisiana and another in Florida – according to Jennifer Armentor, molluscan shellfish program administrator from the Louisiana Department of Health.

Armentor shared information about the vibrio-related deaths Tuesday during a regular meeting of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, held at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.

“It’s just prolific right now,” Armentor told task force members.

She did not provide any additional information about the individuals who died or where they ate. Armentor reiterated in a call Wednesday morning that the fatalities involved people who ate oysters, but did not confirm whether they were the source of the vibrio infection.

State officials have yet to specify whether the four earlier vibrio deaths involved exposure to the bacteria through open wounds or from eating raw seafood. The Louisiana Department of Health did not respond immediately to questions Tuesday afternoon.

As of July 31, the state reported four deaths and 17 hospitalizations attributed to vibrio infections. There have been 14 more illnesses since then, but it’s not yet known how many resulted in hospitalization.

Vibrio infections and deaths are generally rare, but cases linked to Louisiana are spiking this year above the average annual rate of seven infections and one death since 2015. Scientists say it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this is happening.

“Numbers are typically so low, any change looks disproportionate,” said Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno, an associate faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Hospital with expertise in vibrio infections. “Nonetheless, the trend over the past few decades is quite clear: The number of cases has been steadily and consistently increasing, and from these recent outbreaks, they do not seem to be on decline.”

Flesh-eating bacteria in coastal waters are more common during the summer months when warmer waters provide better living conditions for vibrio. Direct wound exposure to brackish waters or eating oysters harvested from such areas increases the likelihood of coming into contact with these naturally occurring bacteria.

“You can almost watch it spread,” Paul Gulig, professor emeritus and microbiologist at the University of Florida, said in an interview.

Symptoms

The infection is known as “flesh-eating” for good reason, he said. Nausea, vomiting, and chills are all symptoms from consuming the bacteria, while wound exposure can cause severe redness and swelling, with infected patients sometimes needing limb amputation to save their lives.

“If you put a mark with a pen around the edge of the redness, and you came back an hour or two later, it would have moved significantly,” Gulig said.

Different health factors can worsen vibrio infections, including stomach and liver conditions, a weakened immune system, and pregnancy, according to the state health department.

Open wounds have created the biggest risk in this year’s vibrio infections, according to state health data. Three-quarters of the illnesses reported in Louisiana last month involved people with direct wound exposure to brackish waters where vibrio lives.

Gulig confirmed this trend, saying research shows wound infections have overtaken eating raw oysters as the top way of getting infected over the past 20 years.

Mitch Jurisich, chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force and a Plaquemines Parish oyster farmer, said it’s critical for consumers to know all the risks involved.

“We want the public to know about safety with oysters, but there’s other ways of getting [vibrio infections],” Jurisich said, adding that people with certain health conditions should avoid raw seafood.

Different factors – such as warmer Gulf temperatures, saltwater intrusion, or even more people swimming and eating oysters – could be behind the spike in cases, Jurisich added

It could also just be chance, according to Gulig.

“Just like rolling dice, sometimes you get snake eyes three times in a row and there’s nothing that really explains that, other than just kind of random chance,” the microbiologist said. “This could be kind of a random thing.”

This story first appeared in the Louisiana Illuminator, a member with the Phoenix in the nonprofit States Newsroom.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

The post Two new deaths reported from flesh-eating bacteria. Both ate Louisiana oysters. appeared first on floridaphoenix.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This content presents a straightforward report on health issues related to vibrio bacteria infections without evident political framing or partisan language. It focuses on factual information, expert opinions, and public health concerns, avoiding political commentary or bias toward any ideological perspective. The neutral tone and emphasis on scientific and health data suggest a centrist approach.