Two people have died in Louisiana after contracting a flesh-eating bacterium from eating raw oysters, state health officials confirmed. The deaths were caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium naturally found in warm coastal waters, particularly between May and October.
The bacteria can cause severe illness when ingested through raw or undercooked seafood or if an open wound is exposed to seawater. This year, Louisiana has reported 22 cases leading to hospitalization, with more than 80% linked to seawater exposure. The Louisiana Health Department noted that roughly one in five people infected with Vibrio vulnificus dies, sometimes within a day or two of symptom onset. The oyster-related fatalities included one Louisiana resident and one out-of-state visitor, highlighting a rise in cases compared with the previous 10-year average of seven cases and one death annually. Florida has also reported 23 cases this year, resulting in five deaths.
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