NEW ORLEANS — A Louisiana health official reported two more deaths from the flesh-eating vibrio bacteria, part of 14 more infections. It brings the state’s fatality count attributed to the pathogen this year to six.
The two most recent deaths involved people who ate oysters harvested in Louisiana at two separate restaurants — one in Louisiana and another in Florida – according to Jennifer Armentor, molluscan shellfish program administrator from the Louisiana Department of Health.
MORE: What is Vibrio vulnificus?
Armentor shared information about the vibrio-related deaths Tuesday during a regular meeting of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, held at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.
“It’s just prolific right now,” Armentor told task force members.
She did not provide any additional information about the individuals who died or where they ate. Armentor reiterated in a call Wednesday morning that the fatalities involved people who ate oysters, but did not confirm whether they were the source of the vibrio infection.
MORE: Ways to stay safe from Vibrio vulnificus
State officials have yet to specify whether the four prior vibrio deaths involved exposure to the bacteria through open wounds or from eating raw seafood. The Louisiana Department of Health did not respond immediately to questions Tuesday afternoon.
As of July 31, the state reported four deaths and 17 hospitalizations attributed to vibrio infections. There have been 14 more illnesses since then, but it’s not yet known how many resulted in hospitalization.
Vibrio infections and deaths are generally rare, but cases linked to Louisiana are spiking this year above the average annual rate of seven infections and one death since 2015. Scientists say it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this is happening.
“Numbers are typically so low, any change looks disproportionate,” said Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno, an associate faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Hospital with expertise in vibrio infections. “Nonetheless, the trend over the past few decades is quite clear: The number of cases has been steadily and consistently increasing, and from these recent outbreaks, they do not seem to be on decline.”
Flesh-eating bacteria in coastal waters are more common during the summer months when warmer waters provide better living conditions for vibrio. Direct wound exposure to brackish waters or eating oysters harvested from such areas increases the likelihood of coming into contact with these naturally occurring bacteria.
“You can almost watch it spread,” Paul Gulig, professor emeritus and microbiologist at the University of Florida, said in an interview.
The infection is known as “flesh-eating” for good reason, he said. Nausea, vomiting and chills are all symptoms from consuming the bacteria, while wound exposure can cause severe redness and swelling, with infected patients sometimes needing limb amputation to save their lives.
“If you put a mark with a pen around the edge of the redness, and you came back an hour or two later, it would have moved significantly,” Gulig said.
Different health factors can worsen vibrio infections, including stomach and liver conditions, a weakened immune system and pregnancy, according to the state health department.
Open wounds have created the biggest risk in this year’s vibrio infections, according to state health data. Three-quarters of the illnesses reported in Louisiana last month involved people with direct wound exposure to brackish waters where vibrio lives.
Gulig confirmed this trend, saying research shows wound infections have overtaken eating raw oysters as the top way of getting infected over the past 20 years.
Mitch Jurisich, chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force and a Plaquemines Parish oyster farmer, said it’s critical for consumers to know all the risks involved.
“We want the public to know about safety with oysters, but there’s other ways of getting [vibrio infections],” Jurisich said, adding that people with certain health conditions should avoid raw seafood.
Different factors – such as warmer Gulf temperatures, saltwater intrusion or even more people swimming and eating oysters – could be behind the spike in cases, Jurisich added
It could also just be chance, according to Gulig.
“Just like rolling dice, sometimes you get snake eyes three times in a row and there’s nothing that really explains that, other than just kind of random chance,” the microbiologist said. “This could be kind of a random thing.”
Editor’s Note: The following article from author Elise Plunk was originally published by the Louisiana Illuminator, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization with a mission to cast light on how decisions in Baton Rouge are made and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians.
Read more from The Louisiana Illuminator @ www.lailluminator.com
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
Support UWK and its mission to deliver The News You Deserve. Unfiltered. Become a monthly patron on Patreon today!
