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5 Dead in Louisiana After Contracting Flesh-Eating Vibrio Bacteria

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Five people in Louisiana have died this year after contracting Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacterium found naturally in warm coastal and brackish waters, state health officials said.

Louisiana has reported nine cases of Vibrio vulnificus so far this year, with another four people hospitalized. Every case involved a wound that had been exposed to seawater, according to health officials, and all nine patients had underlying health conditions that can raise the risk of serious illness and complications.

Health officials are urging people with open wounds to avoid saltwater and brackish water and to thoroughly wash any wound with soap after possible exposure. Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and salt water, often found where rivers meet the ocean.

Vibrio bacteria can infect people in multiple ways. In addition to entering the body through an open wound exposed to contaminated water, the bacteria can be contracted by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Officials are also advising people to fully cook seafood and keep cooked seafood away from raw seafood and its juices.

Signs of a Vibrio wound infection can include fever, pain, redness, swelling, discoloration or fluid discharge around the affected area, according to the CDC.

The bacteria are most prevalent between May and October, when coastal waters are warmer. But scientists have increasingly detected Vibrio in areas where water temperatures were once considered too cold for the pathogen to thrive.

Researchers in New York, for example, said in April that they had detected Vibrio vulnificus in several bodies of water off the coast of Long Island. Previous cases have also been reported around Long Island Sound, a development scientists have linked, in part, to warming waters driven by climate change.

Farther south, Maryland health officials have also urged swimmers to use caution in the Chesapeake Bay after more than two dozen cases were confirmed in the state this year.

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Researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency have estimated that the number of Vibrio infections in the United States could increase by 50 percent by 2090 compared with 1995 levels as sea temperatures continue to rise.

Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told CBS News the bacteria are appearing progressively farther north as the climate warms.

“With every year now, because of climate change, we’re seeing it higher and higher in more northerly latitudes.”

Louisiana is not the only state reporting infections this year. Florida has recorded 14 Vibrio vulnificus cases, including two deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. One person died in Marion County in Central Florida, while another death was reported in Palm Beach.

Florida officials have also warned that hurricanes and other major storms can increase the risk of exposure by pushing brackish coastal water farther inland.

The state experienced an especially deadly year for Vibrio vulnificus in 2024, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the region. Florida reported 19 deaths from the bacterium that year.

The dangers of wound exposure were illustrated by the case of Summerlin Skipworth, who told CBS News she injured her foot on rocks while visiting Orange Beach, Alabama, over Labor Day weekend last year and contracted the infection. Within several days, the pain became severe enough that she went to an emergency room, where she tested positive for Vibrio vulnificus.

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“It felt like somebody poured gasoline on my foot and lit it on fire.”

Skipworth underwent emergency surgery and was released shortly afterward. Doctors credited early detection with helping her recover. “An infection never crossed my mind,” she said. “I just knew I had pain in my foot.”

Vibrio vulnificus is among roughly a dozen Vibrio species capable of causing an illness known as vibriosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimates that approximately 80,000 cases of vibriosis occur in the United States each year.

Vibrio vulnificus infections can be particularly dangerous. About one in five people infected with the bacterium die, according to the CDC, sometimes within just one or two days after becoming sick.

Symptoms can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever. In more severe cases, the infection can spread into the bloodstream, potentially causing low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions.

Hotez said people with underlying risk factors should be particularly careful about entering coastal waters with cuts or abrasions.

“If you have those risk factors, and if you have an open wound or abrasion in your skin, you do not want to go swimming in brackish waters along the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Seaboard,” he said.

The growing geographic range of Vibrio has become a concern as ocean temperatures rise. Although the bacteria have long been associated with warmer coastal areas, infections and detections in places such as the Northeast suggest that the conditions favorable to Vibrio are expanding beyond their traditional range.

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Ebola Outbreak Outpacing Recovery Efforts As Aid Workers Go On Strike Over Pay 

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The world is currently experiencing one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks in history. The virus is currently spreading at a rate faster than the efforts to fight it, according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

Ghebreyesus spoke with officials during a visit to the Congo, where some health workers are also currently on strike over a lack of pay, which is also slowing recovery efforts. 

This outbreak has been occurring for about three months with new courses doubling in some of the hot spots, Ghebreyesus stated in a post to his social media after meeting with officials in the capital Kinshasa. This marks the second visit that the WHO director-general took to the country since the outbreak was officially declared in mid-May. 

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“We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners.”

The outbreak itself has had over 3,800 confirmed cases and over 1,700 deaths as of the beginning of this week, according to the latest data from Congo’s Ministry of Health. 

In the epicenter of the outbreak, the Ituri province, it’s been reported that many of the front line workers have gone on strike. The healthcare workers have also been impacted by rebel conflict within one of Congo’s most remote and vulnerable areas. 

Some workers stated that they started receiving payment within the past week for the work they’ve been doing since the outbreak began, and are demanding improved wages, according to reports. 

A resident of Bunia, Anicet Baluku, told the Associated Press that he blamed the death of his two brothers from Ebola on the strike. “We urge the authorities to quickly find a solution to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.”

The US Department of State said this week that it will be providing an additional $242 million in funding for immediate Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the region and for humanitarian assistance. 

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The outbreak itself has outpaced all previous Ebola outbreaks due to its speed of transmission and is currently the second-largest outbreak on record after the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak that had over 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths. 

The specific Bundibugyo virus that is causing this current outbreak has no approved treatment or vaccine. 

Doctors Without Borders stated this week that the outbreak is still “spreading at an alarming and unprecedented rate. The response is expanding but is still not reaching communities quickly enough to break transmission chains.”

Dr. Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa Centers for Disease and Control, stated that during a visit to Bunia that contact tracing isn’t working, while 60% to 70% of new cases coming outside of those being monitored after exposure to patients. 

The later detection of cases has been a main contributor to the 45% fatality rate, according to officials. The health ministry stated that of the 77 most-recent cases reported during a 24-hour period, 44 were fatal, and at least 717 patients are in isolation with 749 patients have recovered. 

Dr. Kaseya also met with Ghebreyesus this week, and stated that the Africa CDC is “aligning its efforts with responders around earlier detection, stronger contact tracing, rapid access to quality care, and deeper engagement with communities.”

“Above all, communities must be at the center of and have ownership of the response. We cannot stop Ebola without their trust, leadership, and partnership,” he said.  

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World Health Organization Says Measles Cases Are Concerningly Surging

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Between 2000 and 2024, deaths caused by measles dropped 88% thanks to vaccination, according to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s estimated that 58 million lives were saved from the success of the vaccine worldwide. 

Now, however, the WHO has released a new report that states vaccine coverage is now well below the level needed to stop transmission, with cases surging globally. 59 nations have reported large/disruptive measles outbreaks within the last year. This marks almost three times the number reported in 2021. 

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About 25% of these outbreaks are occurring in nations that were previously declared to be measles-free, including the United States. 

“Global measles elimination remains a distant goal.”

This rise in outbreaks and decline in resources for immunization and disease surveillance is contributing as well, the report noted.

In order for “elimination” to occur, the virus needs to stop circulating within a country. Canada, for example, recently lost their elimination status, and WHO is concerned about the US losing its status next, according to Dr. Kate O’Brien, director of the WHO’s Department of Immunization. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports “1,798 confirmed measles cases in the US this year, the highest number of cases since the country reached elimination status in 2000.”

“Measles remains the world’s most contagious virus,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. 

“Even though there’s a highly effective low-cost vaccine, the disease exploits gaps in immunization coverage.”

In 2024, there were more than 30 million children globally that were considered to be under-protected against measles. 

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“We have made measurable progress towards measles elimination,” said Diana Chang Blanc, head of WHO’s Essential Program on Immunization. 

“But progress toward elimination is still too slow. Cases and deaths are still unacceptably high.”

A few nations have yet to give out the second dose of a measles vaccine as standard practice, which is essential because the second dose “increases vaccine effectiveness to 95%, providing most individuals with long-lasting immunity,” Chang Blanc stated. 

In 2024, the reports noted that only 84% of children received the first dose with only 76% receiving the second dose around the world. 

“This means that 30 million children remained underprotected from measles in 2024. Children living in fragile, vulnerable conflict-afflicted settings are the most adversely affected.” 

Chang Blanc stated that progress is not being accomplished due to the fact that there has been lower global immunization rates and a “backsliding of vaccination” since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Measles acts as a fire alarm for immunization programs. When the disease resurfaces, it warns that there are gaps in immunization coverage and health care access inequities,” O’Brien stated. 

Misinformation and disinformation are notable factors in slowed vaccination rates, WHO stated. 

Chang Blanc said that “the breakdown or lack of a strong foundation in the routine immunization system is the No. 1 reason for high measles case counts and outbreaks.

Although it sounds simple, those routine systems require trained health workforces, logistic systems, transport, surveillance systems and other resources that many countries do not have.

The major barrier to reaching 95% measles vaccine coverage is access to populations that need it most.”

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Hundreds Of Fired CDC Staff By Trump Administration Have Been Reinstated 

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Hundreds of staff members that were fired by the Trump Administration from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been reinstated.

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West Coast States Issuing Joint Vaccine Guidelines As CDC And HHS Make Massive Changes And Cuts 

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California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii are releasing their own joining recommendations for who should receive Covid, flu, and RSV vaccines this fall. This decision was made to counteract the new vaccine guidance that will be coming from the Trump administration, which has also removed prominent scientists and health experts from the federal health department. 

The administration has also put individuals who are vaccine skeptics and critics in key roles throughout the department, leading to the four states wanting to take control. The recently terminated director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, testified to Congress about her fear of health in the US under Robert F Kennedy Jr as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

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“There’s a real risk that recommendations could be made restricting access to vaccines for children and others in need, without rigorous scientific review.”

The four states have formed what they are calling the West Coast Health Alliance. The Alliance is urging Americans to get this year’s Covid-19 vaccine if they are pregnant, aged 65 or older, are immunocompromised/have a range of risk factors, or are just choosing to keep themselves protected. 

They also stated that children from age 23 months to six should receive the vaccine as should older children and teenagers who have not been vaccinated or have risk factors. 

“These recommendations represent a collaborative effort, done with humility and based on science, to meet our responsibilities to our communities and the public at large,” Dr Kenneth Fink, the director of Hawai’i’s department of health, said in a statement.

The states’ recommendations go against the Trump administrations current vaccine guidelines for Covid-19. Kennedy is one of the most prominent vaccine skeptics in the US, and he announced back in May that the federal government no longer recommends pregnant people and children receive the Covid-19 vaccine. 

They announced the West Coast Health Alliance in early September after the White House forced Monarez out. Monarez often went up against Kennedy over the ways he was trying to reshape federal vaccine policies and contradicting long-standing scientific research. 

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The acting head of the CDC under Trump is a former speechwriter and investment executive with no actual medical or scientific background. California governor Gavin Newsom said that the state health officials who developed the new recommendations within the Alliance are “all medical doctors.”

According to reports, the recommendations are also based on official guidance from major health associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Kennedy got rid of existing members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June. Even one Republican senator who’s also a medical doctor called this move concerning. Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy discussed the risk of rescinding the recommendation for an infant hepatitis B vaccine. 

Cassidy issued a statement calling for a “postponement of the ACIP meeting. If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership.”

In her congressional testimony, Monarez warned that Kennedy had told her that “the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing starting in September, and I needed to be on board with it.” She also discussed how she was fired after not pledging to “commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation, regardless of the scientific evidence.” She added that she also was terminated for resisting the removal of career public health officials that were responsible for vaccine policy without a legitimate cause. 

“If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return,” Monarez testified.

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Ex-CDC Director Says RFK Jr. Pressured Her to Back Vaccine Schedule Overhaul, Cites Political Meddling

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At a tense Senate hearing on Wednesday, former CDC Director Susan Monarez alleged that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressured her to support a revision of the childhood vaccine schedule — a plan she says lacked scientific basis and led to her removal.

Monarez told members of the Senate Health Committee that Kennedy insisted changes to the immunization schedule would take effect in September and demanded her support without providing any data. “He said I needed to be on board,” Monarez recounted under questioning from Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

The testimony came as part of a broader inquiry into upheaval within the CDC and Kennedy’s controversial role in shaping the agency’s direction. Cassidy reminded the room that Kennedy had promised not to alter the vaccine schedule when he was nominated in January.

Monarez described Kennedy’s demeanor during their exchange as “extremely animated” and said he launched into a tirade, accusing CDC employees of endangering children.

“He said that CDC employees were killing children, and they don’t care. He said that CDC employees were bought by the pharmaceutical industry. He said the CDC forced people to wear masks and social distance like a dictatorship. He said during the Covid outbreak, the CDC told hospitals to turn away sick Covid patients until they had blue lips before allowing them to get treatment. Those statements are not true.”

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In an emotional moment, Monarez also described the lingering trauma at the CDC following an August shooting in which a gunman, who reportedly blamed vaccines for his health issues, opened fire on the agency’s Atlanta headquarters, killing a police officer.

“Each bullet was meant for a person, and each of my staff were very traumatized afterwards,” she said, adding that staff became so afraid they removed their names from vaccine-related studies and refused to speak publicly on the topic.

The hearing also featured testimony from Dr. Deb Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer, who recently resigned in protest alongside two other senior officials. Houry accused Kennedy of compromising the agency’s scientific independence, saying he “censored CDC science, politicized its processes and stripped leaders of independence.”

“I could not, in good conscience, remain under those conditions,” she added.

Both Monarez and Houry pointed to increasing political interference in areas traditionally governed by science. They specifically named Stuart Burns, a former GOP staffer and Kennedy aide with known ties to the anti-vaccine movement, as someone playing a central role in determining which vaccines are recommended by federal advisory panels.

Monarez further testified that Kennedy had asked her to meet with Aaron Siri, an anti-vaccine attorney and longtime associate of Kennedy who represented him during his failed presidential run. Siri has made a name and fortune challenging vaccine mandates and representing clients claiming vaccine injury. He once filed a petition to revoke approval for a polio vaccine.

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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the federal panel responsible for vaccine guidance, is scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss the childhood immunization schedule. Kennedy removed previous members of the committee in June and replaced them with individuals widely viewed as vaccine skeptics, many of whom lack direct medical or scientific expertise.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, Andrew Nixon, defended Monarez’s dismissal, claiming she had “acted maliciously to undermine the president’s agenda.” He insisted that any updates to the vaccine schedule would be “based on the latest available science.”

“Any potential changes to the childhood vaccine schedule will be based on the latest available science, and only after the ACIP recommends it and the acting CDC director reviews and approves those recommendations.”

Still, the growing number of departures and allegations of political meddling have raised alarm bells among public health experts and lawmakers alike. Cassidy noted the apparent contradiction between Kennedy’s public assurances and his private push for unvetted changes.

Less than a month after praising her “unimpeachable scientific credentials,” Secretary Kennedy fired her,” Cassidy said, referring to Monarez’s swearing-in. “

Loss Of Top Officials In CDC Could Harm US Health, Experts Say 

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Many top officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have left the agency under Robert F Kennedy Jr’s leadership. Now, many of those leaders and healthcare officials are saying that “Americans should be alarmed” about the future and rising public health threats.

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Covid-19 Vaccine Accessibility: What You Need To Know About New Restrictions For Receiving Immunizations 

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The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it has removed the emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines. Now, only certain populations in the US will have access to the new shot starting this fall.

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China Deploys Drones and Mosquito-Eating Fish to Combat Chikungunya Outbreak

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Southern China is grappling with a major outbreak of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral illness that has rapidly infected thousands in recent weeks—marking one of the country’s largest recorded surges since the disease was first detected there nearly 20 years ago.

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Arizona Resident Dies from Rare Case of Pneumonic Plague

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A resident of Coconino County, Arizona, has died from pneumonic plague, the first fatal case reported in the area since 2007. While local officials are stressing that the death appears unrelated to a recent and mysterious die-off of prairie dogs near Flagstaff, both incidents are drawing renewed attention to a disease more often associated with medieval history than modern life.

The individual, whose identity and demographic details have not been disclosed, reportedly arrived at Flagstaff Medical Center’s emergency department and died that same day, according to local health officials.

A spokesperson for Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) confirmed that the individual died from a “severe lung infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium” and that “despite appropriate initial management and attempts to provide life-saving resuscitation, the patient did not recover.”

“NAH would like to remind anyone who suspects they are ill with a contagious disease to contact their health care provider. If their illness is severe, they should go to the emergency Department and immediately ask for a mask to help prevent the spread of disease while they access timely and important care.”

Coconino County encompasses a swath of northern Arizona, including part of Grand Canyon National Park. While human cases of plague are extremely rare in the U.S., the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the culprit behind the Black Death outbreak in the 1340s, still lingers in parts of the American Southwest.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports roughly seven human plague cases annually across the country, with the vast majority occurring in rural areas of western states. Since 2000, only 15 plague-related deaths have been recorded nationwide.

This latest case involves pneumonic plague, the rarest and most virulent form of the disease, which attacks the lungs and can spread through respiratory droplets. In contrast, the more common bubonic plague is typically transmitted via flea bites and affects the lymphatic system.

Bubonic plague may still lead to painful, swollen lymph nodes known as buboes, but it can be easily cured if treated with antibiotics early. Pneumonic plague can trigger symptoms such as fever, fatigue, chills, and severe pneumonia within a week of exposure.

Although the patient’s case is believed to be isolated, county officials have launched an investigation into a concurrent spike in prairie dog deaths northeast of Flagstaff. Trish Lees, a communications manager for Coconino County, told the Arizona Republic that the total number of deceased prairie dogs is still being assessed.

Despite the timing, health authorities have stated that as of right now, there is no evidence linking the recent death to the prairie dog die-off. However, the county has issued precautionary guidelines for residents and visitors to reduce potential exposure to Yersinia pestis.

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These include avoiding sick or dead animals, steering clear of rodent burrows when camping, refraining from sleeping directly on the ground, and using insect repellents. Tucking pants into socks is also recommended for extra protection against fleas.

“Report prairie dog die-offs. Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but are not considered a long-term reservoir of the disease. They typically die off quickly after infection, making them an indicator species for plague presence. Active prairie dog colonies are not harmful, but a sudden reduction/die-off in prairie dog colonies may indicate the presence of disease.”

While Yersinia pestis is known to persist in rodent populations, particularly in the Southwest, human infections remain exceedingly rare and person-to-person transmission of pneumonic plague is even rarer. In fact, the last confirmed case of such transmission in the U.S. occurred in Los Angeles more than a century ago, in 1924.

Arizona itself has reported only seven plague cases since 2006. Yet the region is no stranger to other zoonotic diseases, including hantavirus, rabies, and West Nile virus, which are considered endemic to the area.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased,” said Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman. “We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time. Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released.”