A fifth person has died after contracting a rare, flesh-eating bacteria in Louisiana, as officials continue to warn the public about rising cases of the deadly infection. 

The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, thrives in warm coastal waters and is more common between May and October.

So far it has caused 26 infections in Louisiana this year – more than double the number reported in 2024. 

The CDC says Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a severe condition that destroys skin and tissue, and about one in five infected individuals die.

It is not clear how the latest victim contracted the bacteria and the individual was not identified.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, people typically become infected either by exposing open wounds to contaminated water or by eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters. 

The state health department confirmed that two of this year’s deaths were linked to raw oysters, while 85 percent of those infected reported exposure through wounds and seawater.

Vibrio vulnificus infections are increasingly being diagnosed across the Gulf Coast, with some experts pointing to warming ocean temperatures as a likely driver. 

So far it has caused 26 infections in Louisiana this year – more than double the number reported in 2024 

The CDC says Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a severe condition that destroys skin and tissue, and about one in five infected individuals die 

‘It’s not just a Gulf Coast phenomenon any longer,’ Fred Lopez, an infectious disease specialist at LSU Health, told CBS News. 

‘Global warming is moving infections with Vibrio vulnificus up the East Coast.’

In addition to the Louisiana ‘outbreak,’ there have been 10 cases reported in Alabama (including one death), three in Mississippi (one fatal), and 13 in Florida, where eight people died. 

Cases have even been documented as far north as Massachusetts, prompting some oyster bed closures.

‘This year, Louisiana continues to see a higher number of Vibrio cases and deaths than are typically reported,’ the Department of Health said on Tuesday. 

In the past decade, the state has averaged just seven cases and one death annually.

The CDC explains that while mild cases of vibrio infection can result in symptoms like watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever, more severe cases can lead to bloodstream infections, dangerously low blood pressure, and necrotizing fasciitis. 

In extreme instances, doctors may need to amputate limbs to remove dead or infected tissue. 

Those with underlying health conditions – such as liver disease or cancer – are at greater risk of developing life-threatening complications, though the Louisiana Department of Health stresses that anyone can be affected.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, people typically become infected either by exposing open wounds to contaminated water or by eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters (pictured)

The state health department confirmed that two of this year’s deaths were linked to raw oysters, while 85 percent of those infected reported exposure through wounds and seawater. Pictured: Louisiana wetlands

‘Stay out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes), or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if there’s a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices,’ the health department advises. 

The health organization also recommends seeking medical attention immediately if a skin infection develops after water exposure.

Ben West, 39, contracted Vibrio vulnificus after after he and his family went crabbing and mullet fishing on August 23 under a bridge in Port St. Joe, a town in the Florida panhandle. 

Shortly after the fishing trip, West began complaining that he had serious swelling and burning in his foot and ankle. 

After he told his fiancée, Jamie Knowles, that it felt like his leg was on fire, she took him to the hospital on August 25.

She claimed doctors gave him the incorrect diagnosis of cellulitis and prescribed him antibiotics. The antibiotics, she said, is what caused West’s leg to blister even further and his blood pressure to sink to an dangerously low level.

‘There were blisters everywhere, they were busting, it was swelling, you couldn’t recognize his leg compared to the other one, it was actually four times bigger than the other one,’ Knowles told WJHG.

West’s family has set up a GoFundMe to pay for his medical bills. Knowles has also used the page to give updates on his condition.

Knowles wrote in an August 29 update that after West’s third surgery, doctors were confident that they stopped the bacteria’s progression.