Louisiana Department of Health officials have confirmed nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection so far this year, with five deaths, marking a sharp increase over the ten-year average of seven cases and one death annually. All nine patients were hospitalized and each had underlying health conditions. Every case was traced to open wounds exposed to coastal seawater.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and multiply between May and October when temperatures rise. Infection can enter through cuts, scrapes, recent piercings, tattoos or surgical incisions exposed to brackish or salt water. It can also be contracted by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. About one in five people with a bloodstream infection dies, sometimes within 48 hours of symptom onset.
Risk factors and symptoms
People with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or thalassemia face the highest risk of severe complications. Those on immune-suppressing medication, drugs that reduce stomach acid, or who have had recent stomach surgery are also vulnerable. Warning signs include fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth around a wound, skin discolouration and drainage. The department urges anyone with a wound exposed to salt water that becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discoloured to seek immediate medical care.
Precautions for travellers and seafood consumers
Health authorities advise staying out of brackish or salt water if you have an open wound, covering wounds with waterproof bandages if water contact is unavoidable, and washing wounds thoroughly afterward. Seafood should be cooked thoroughly. Hands must be washed with soap and water after handling raw shellfish, and cooked seafood should be kept separate from raw product.
Florida has reported 14 cases and two deaths this year, compared with 33 cases and five deaths for all of 2023. Both states typically see case spikes after tropical storms and hurricanes. Nationally, 150 to 200 cases are reported annually, with roughly half occurring in Gulf States including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
While the current outbreak is concentrated in the Gulf, Vibrio species are also present in Canadian coastal waters during summer months. The Public Health Agency of Canada monitors Vibrio infections, which have been documented in British Columbia and Atlantic provinces, particularly following warm-water events. Canadians travelling to affected U.S. regions or consuming imported raw oysters should observe the same precautions.
Based on reporting by Global News.