Louisiana has reported five deaths in 2025 from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium in warm coastal waters, significantly higher than the usual annual average, likely linked to rising sea temperatures due to climate change. Most cases involved wounds exposed to seawater, with many patients having underlying health conditions. The bacteria pose serious health risks, including death and limb amputation, emphasizing the need for public awareness and caution around coastal waters.
Louisiana has reported its fifth death this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters, with 26 cases so far—significantly higher than the annual average—mainly affecting individuals with open wounds or seafood exposure, and most patients having underlying health conditions.
Rising sea temperatures due to climate change are increasing the prevalence of Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, along the US coasts, leading to more infections and fatalities, as exemplified by a near-fatal case in Louisiana. The bacteria thrive in warmer, brackish waters, and infections can occur through wounds or consumption of contaminated seafood, with climate change exacerbating the risk by warming oceans and altering salinity levels.
The article warns about the rising risk of Vibrio vulnificus infections from coastal waters, especially during summer, and provides safety tips such as avoiding seawater with open wounds, cooking shellfish thoroughly, and being cautious in high-risk groups like the elderly and immunocompromised.
Massachusetts health officials warn about a rare and potentially deadly Vibrio bacteria infection in coastal waters, linked to a recent case at Buzzards Bay, emphasizing the risks for those with open wounds or consuming contaminated shellfish during warm months.
A rare case of Vibrio vulnificus infection, a bacteria that can cause flesh-eating disease, has been confirmed in Cape Cod, prompting health advisories for residents and visitors to take precautions when swimming or consuming shellfish in warm coastal waters, especially for vulnerable groups. The bacteria thrive in warm, salt or brackish waters, and rising temperatures are leading to more cases further north.
A North Carolina man is in ICU after contracting Vibrio Vulnificus, a rare but potentially deadly bacteria found in brackish coastal waters, often linked to open wounds or raw shellfish. While infections are uncommon, they can be fatal, especially for those with weakened immune systems or wounds. Health officials advise precautions like covering wounds, avoiding raw seafood, and practicing good hygiene to reduce risk while enjoying the beach.
NASA has observed how El Niño affects the salinity of coastal waters, with satellite images revealing changes in sediment marks and dissolved salt content. The event leads to less freshwater flowing from rivers into the ocean, resulting in higher salt content at river mouths and up to 125 miles from shore. This relationship between El Niño/La Niña weather cycles and the coastal water cycle will have significant impacts on marine environments and global climate as weather events intensify.
Vibrio vulnificus, a life-threatening flesh-eating bacteria typically found in warmer waters along the Gulf of Mexico, could double in the United States over the next two decades as coastal waters warm due to climate change. The bacteria could find its way into waters around Boston by 2041. The bacteria most often infects people through the consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood such as oysters, but in rarer cases, it can enter the body through open wounds such as insect bites and begin to eat through the flesh. The number of infections each year could double as the planet continues to warm, and the bacteria will spread northward.
Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, could double its infections in the US within the next 20 years due to climate change, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The bacteria is thriving in warming coastal waters and a growing elderly population means more people will be susceptible to infection. The number of infections along the East Coast has already increased eightfold in the past 30 years. The bacteria can spread through raw seafood or by wading or swimming with a wound. Mortality rates for this bacterial infection are as high as 18%. Increased public health awareness is needed to prevent major health consequences.
A new study reveals that the number of cases of potentially fatal infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a "flesh-eating bacteria," is increasing and spreading farther up the U.S. East Coast due to climate change. The bacteria lives in warm, shallow coastal waters and can cause infections if people come in contact with it in seawater when they have an open cut or insect bite. Mortality rates are high, with as many as 18% of cases ending in death. The study projects that by the end of the 21st century, V. vulnificus infections could be present in every state along the eastern U.S. coastline.
