Two Vibrio vulnificus deaths tied to oysters in Louisiana and Florida

Two people have died this week after eating oysters contaminated with the flesh eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, Louisiana health officials said, part of an unusually large outbreak along the Gulf Coast this summer that has also affected Florida. The latest fatalities were tied to oysters harvested in Louisiana and consumed at separate restaurants in Louisiana and Florida, officials told the Louisiana Oyster Task Force on Tuesday.

State health officials said the two recent deaths bring Louisiana’s total fatalities related to V. vulnificus this year to six. The Louisiana Department of Health also reported 22 hospitalizations among state residents so far in 2025. Florida’s Department of Health has confirmed five deaths from the bacterium this year and has reported between 20 and 23 cases, depending on the most recent update, a spokesperson said. Nationally several Gulf Coast and northeastern states have seen elevated case counts, officials and infectious disease specialists said.

Vibrio vulnificus naturally occurs in warm, brackish coastal waters and is most common between May and October. Most infections occur after people eat raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly...