At least five people have been killed in Louisiana by deadly flesh-eating bacteria, prompting officials to issue an alert to beachgoers as the infection mostly occurs from exposure to seawater. Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria.

Vibrio vulnificus thrives in warm coastal waters, and people can get sickened by it through raw shellfish or open wounds.

A flesh-eating bacteria found in warm coastal waters is responsible for at least five deaths so far this year in Louisiana, state health officials reported Thursday.

The number of reported infections this year is significantly higher than average