Louisiana health department documents five deaths from flesh-eating bacteria infections

The Louisiana Department of Health is warning beachgoers to be extra careful in the water this summer and fall because the state has documented five fatalities this year from infections from a flesh-eating bacteria.

The state said there have been a total of nine cases so far of the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus and five of them were deadly. The number is a stark rise from previous years, which usually saw seven cases and one death.

Experts say the bacteria is usually found in warm, coastal waters, and can cause serious, potentially life-threatening infections when contaminated seawater enters an open wound, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacteria can also infect people who eat raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters, but all state cases so far have been linked to people entering seawater with open wounds, according to Fox News.

"People with severe infections may require intensive care or limb amputation," Louisiana health officials warned. "About one in five people with Vibrio vulnificus infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill."

The state health department also noted that the bacteria are often found in higher numbers from May to October, when water temperatures are warmer.

Most patients usually develop minor symptoms, with the initial signs of fever, redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration and discharge. But severe cases can cause an infection called necrotizing fasciitis, which is when the flesh around an open wound dies, which is what led to Vibrio vulnificus being described as "flesh-eating bacteria."

Experts urge residents not to enter warm saltwater if they have any fresh cuts, scrapes or wounds, and to avoid consuming raw shellfish to minimize possible exposure. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.