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