Five of nine confirmed infections this year were fatal
Louisiana health officials are urging beachgoers to take precautions during a summertime surge in infections from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters.
The state has confirmed nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections this year, the state’s health department said last week in a news release. All nine people were hospitalized, and five died.
That compares with an average of about seven cases and one death over the same period during the previous decade, according to the health department.
“Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored,” officials said in the release. “Tell the health care provider about the water exposure.”
Vibrio bacteria thrive in seawater and in the brackish mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most infections are reported from May to October, and most happen in states along the Gulf Coast.
Doctors said the Gulf is an ideal environment with the right amounts of salt and heat to let the organism proliferate.