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Health officials along the Gulf Coast have issued urgent warnings to beachgoers as the death toll from a flesh-eating bacteria in warm coastal waters continues to rise.

With at least seven fatalities already confirmed this year between Louisiana and Florida, and dozens more infections reported across multiple states, authorities are pressing residents and tourists alike to take the threat seriously.

Vibrio vulnificus is a species of bacteria that thrive in seawater and brackish water during the warmest months of the year, and can enter the body through even the smallest cuts, scrapes, or puncture wounds.

Once inside, Vibrio vulnificus can destroy tissue, trigger septic shock and kill within a day or two if not treated immediately.

As summer draws more people to the beach and water temperatures climb to ideal levels for bacteria to proliferate, officials are stressing that awareness and quick action could mean the difference between life and death.

Louisiana has been particularly hard-hit this year, with nine confirmed cases Vibrio vulnificus infections – all hospitalized and five fatal – a sharp increase over the state's decade-long average of seven cases and one death during the same period.

Florida, another Gulf state highly susceptible to Vibrio, has reported fourteen cases and two deaths so far in 2026, one from Palm Beach County and one from Marion County, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Nationwide, more than 30 infections have already been recorded across multiple states, including Mississippi, Alabama, and even Connecticut, signaling that the pathogen's reach may be expanding beyond its traditional Gulf Coast stronghold.

Clearwater Beach, Florida, is pictured on a busy summer day. Vibrio vulnificus has already killed seven along the Gulf Coast this year, and officials are urging beachgoers with open wounds to stay out of the water

Scientists attribute this trend in part to climate change, as rising sea surface temperatures create ideal conditions for Vibrio bacteria to thrive and gradually shift northward.

A 2023 study found that the northernmost range of Vibrio vulnificus has been moving approximately 30 miles each year, potentially bringing infections within reach of population centers as far north as New York.

The bacteria typically infect people in one of two ways.

The first is through open wounds that come into contact with warm seawater or brackish water – a mixture of salt and freshwater commonly found in estuaries, lagoons and areas where rivers meet the ocean.

Cuts, scrapes, burns, puncture wounds from fishing hooks, recent piercings, tattoos or even surgical incisions can all serve as entry points for the pathogen.

The second route is through the digestive system, when people eat raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, that contain the bacteria.

This can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fever and chills.

Once inside the body, Vibrio vulnificus can trigger necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection that destroys skin, muscle and tissue around the wound.

The bacteria release toxins that kill tissue and allow the infection to enter the bloodstream, leading to septic shock, organ failure and death if not treated immediately.

Joziah Thompson, 17, took a dip in seawater off Florida's Northwest coast with a cut on his left leg. Two days later he was left moaning in pain by an infection

Although the disease remains rare, it is often deadly, and cases are rising. CDC officials say about 150 to 200 infections are recorded every year while about one in five leads to a fatality.

A terrifying example of how quickly a minor injury can turn deadly comes from Florida, where 17-year-old Joziah Thompson is fighting for his life after contracting the bacteria during a swim at his local park.

Thompson's mother had warned him about the cut on his lower left leg, but he thought nothing of it when he went for a swim off Florida's Northwest coast with his siblings.

Three days later, he was moaning in pain with a fever, while his entire leg turned red and became hot to the touch. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed a Vibrio vulnificus infection.

Surgeons have since cut out infected tissue, but his mother says he is ‘not out of the woods yet’ and will require more surgeries and aggressive antibiotics.

She is now calling on authorities to set up an alert system to warn when bacteria levels surge in local waters, saying, ‘I don't want this to happen to any other children.’

While anyone can become infected, certain individuals face a much higher risk of severe complications.

The CDC has identified several underlying conditions that increase vulnerability, including liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, thalassemia and weakened immune systems.

A small wound like the one on Joziah's leg is all it takes for flesh-eating bacteria to enter the body. Doctors are urging beachgoers to cover any cuts before entering warm coastal waters.

The general mortality rate for Vibrio vulnificus is about one in five, but for those with liver disease or other chronic conditions, the fatality rate can exceed fifty percent.

Health officials urge anyone who has been in coastal waters to monitor wounds closely for warning signs, which can appear within hours.

Symptoms include redness, swelling, or pain that worsens rapidly, skin discoloration, fluid-filled blisters, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting.

In severe cases, the bacteria can turn flesh black, potentially leading to amputation, or can enter the blood and cause sepsis.

‘Seek medical care immediately if a wound exposed to brackish or salt water becomes red, swollen, painful, warm or discolored,’ Louisiana health officials advised.

Without immediate treatment, death can occur in as little as 24 to 48 hours.

Treatment requires swift medical intervention, typically involving a combination of powerful antibiotics and, in severe cases, surgical removal of dead tissue or even amputation.

Dr Cassandra Black, an infectious disease specialist, told CBS News that any open wound exposed to potentially contaminated water should be cleaned immediately with soap and clean running water.

To protect themselves, beachgoers should take simple but vital precautions. Anyone with open cuts, scrapes, burns or puncture wounds should stay out of saltwater and brackish water entirely.

If exposure is unavoidable, wounds should be covered with a waterproof bandage and washed thoroughly afterward.

Officials also warn against eating raw or undercooked oysters, particularly during warmer months, and advise high-risk individuals to avoid raw shellfish altogether.