Contaminated oysters spread fatal flesh-eating bacteria in two states

Two people have died after eating oysters contaminated with flesh-eating bacteria, health officials confirmed, and others have been infected. 

Both of the fatal cases were traced to Louisiana-harvested oysters that ended up on plates in restaurants in Louisiana and Florida.

The bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, has now been linked to six deaths in Louisiana and five deaths in Florida, according to the states’ health departments.

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The rising number of outbreaks prompted the Louisiana Department of Health to issue a statement July 31, urging residents to take precautions against vibriosis, the infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus.

Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria, which are found in coastal waters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states.

Vibrio has the potential to cause severe infections, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York. 

These include invasive soft tissue infections (sometimes called “necrotizing fasciitis” or “flesh-eating bacteria”) and bloodstream infections.

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Most people get vibriosis by eating raw or under-cooked shellfish, particularly oysters, according to the CDC. 

In some cases, it can also enter open wounds while people are swimming.

Prior to this incident, health officials reported 17 cases of Vibrio vulnificus among Louisiana residents in 2025. All patients were hospitalized, and four of those illnesses resulted in death. 

Over the previous 10 years, an average of seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death were reported each year in Louisiana.

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“It’s just prolific right now,” Jennifer Armentor, the molluscan shellfish program administrator at the Louisiana Department of Health, told the Louisiana Oyster Task Force Tuesday at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport.

Symptoms to watch for

Vibriosis symptoms depend on the type of infection, according to Handel. 

“The symptoms of skin infections can progress quickly and become life-threatening in a short time,” he previously told Fox News Digital. “Thankfully, those infections are rare.”

“If you do eat shellfish, make sure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.”

People who have eaten contaminated shellfish will have severe vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, the doctor warned.

While healthy people generally experience only mild symptoms, those who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease can face serious health risks.

If Vibrio vulnificus enters the bloodstream, it can cause severe illness marked by fever, chills, septic shock and blistering skin lesions, according to Florida Health. About half of these bloodstream infections are fatal.

Some severe cases can cause necrotizing fasciitis, which is when the flesh around an open wound dies, the CDC cautions. 

Diagnosis and treatment

The bacterial infection is diagnosed by testing cultures obtained from stool, wounds or blood, according to health officials.

Groups at highest risk include older adults and people who are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease, Handel cautioned. 

For mild infections, the CDC recommends increasing fluid intake to prevent dehydration.

Those with severe or prolonged infections should receive antibiotics to improve survival rates. For people with infected wounds, surgery may be necessary to remove dead tissue.

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About one in five people will die from the infection, sometimes within a day or two of the illness, the CDC states.

“To prevent Vibrio food poisoning, avoid eating raw shellfish, especially if you are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease,” Handel advised. 

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The doctor noted that Vibrio infections are rare and “should not be a major cause of alarm.”

“If you do eat shellfish, make sure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.”

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed reporting.