Health officials urge caution for Gulf Coast beachgoers during surge of deadly bacterial infections - AP News

Louisiana has confirmed nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection this year, with all patients hospitalized and five dying, compared with a previous decade's annual average of about seven cases and one death.
The bacteria, sometimes called flesh-eating, thrives in warm seawater and the brackish mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons, with most infections occurring between May and October along the Gulf Coast.
Officials advise seeking immediate medical care if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored, and to inform providers about the water contact.
Vibrio vulnificus is the deadliest type, with as many as one in five infections proving fatal—a far higher rate than other Vibrio bacteria, according to the CDC.
Florida, which typically records more cases, has reported 14 Vibrio vulnificus infections and two deaths so far this year, compared with 33 cases and five deaths for all of last year, with case numbers rising during tropical storms and hurricanes.
Infections occur through eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters, or when bacteria enter through small breaks in the skin during water exposure; severe cases are more common in elderly people and those with weakened immune systems, liver disease or diabetes, and a 2023 study found cases shifting northward by roughly 30 miles each year amid climate change.