- Heads-up for Gulf Coast beachgoers: Louisiana reported a summertime spike in Vibrio vulnificus infections (9 cases, 5 deaths so far), a bacterium that thrives in warm brackish/salt water and is most common May–October.
- How people get sick: the bacteria can enter through small cuts or scrapes in the water or from eating raw/undercooked shellfish (especially oysters); older or immune‑compromised people and those with liver disease are at higher risk.
- Simple precautions to mention at the beach: rinse and thoroughly wash any wounds after water contact, avoid raw shellfish, wear gloves if handling raw seafood, and see a doctor right away for red, painful, or blistering wounds—climate change is also pushing these infections farther north.
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