What is Vibrio vulnificus? Flesh-eating bacteria that claimed 8 lives in 2 US states

At least eight people were left dead, and 32 were sick across multiple Gulf Coast states due to a “flesh-eating bacteria,” health officials in several states said. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 17 cases of the bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus have been reported so far in 2025 in the state, four of which were fatal.

All 17 cases reported in the state involved the sickened individuals being hospitalized, the department said. “During the same period over the previous 10 years, an average of seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death have been reported each year in Louisiana,” the state health agency said in a statement, as quoted by THE EPOCH TIMES.

The department further stated that out of the 17 cases, 75 percent reported wound and seawater exposure. It also noted that Vibrio bacteria generally live in warm coastal waters and tend to occur in higher rates between May and October.


Health officials in Florida have confirmed 13 instances of the bacterial infection and four deaths so far in 2025, according to an update on the Florida Department of Health’s website on July 24. “About a dozen species of Vibrio can cause a human illness,” the Louisiana Health Department warned in a statement.

“Some Vibrio species, such as Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections. Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.”

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that usually lives in warm seawater and belongs to a group of vibrios that are called “halophilic” because they require salt, according to the Florida Department of Health. Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare. It is a naturally occurring bacterium in warm, brackish seawater.

Health officials say the bacteria can cause illness if an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or if someone eats undercooked or raw seafood, especially oysters. People have been advised to avoid brackish or salt water and to cover any wounds with the help of a waterproof bandage if they are likely to be exposed.

80,000 cases of vibriosis occur in the US every year

As many as 80,000 cases of vibriosis, caused by a type of Vibrio bacteria, occur every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, THE EPOCH TIMES reported. Most of the cases are linked to contaminated food, the agency states. “Some Vibrio infections lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies,” the agency states on its website. It also noted that several media outlets say that it is a “flesh-eating bacteria.”

According to the CDC, vibriosis can cause watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, and chills. In severe cases, it may lead to ear infections, sepsis (bloodstream infection), or life-threatening complications.

“Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation,” the CDC’s website states. The CDC adds that around one in five people who suffer from that infection die. It can occur within a day or two of becoming ill, the agency states.