#FoodborneIllness

A sharp rise in severe Vibrio vulnificus infections on the U.S. Gulf Coast has strained medical facilities from Louisiana to Florida, with dozens of cases and multiple deaths reported this year. The outbreak is linked to warm seawater and the consumption of raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. Thai public health authorities and coastal communities now face similarities in environment and livelihoods that heighten local risk.

Vibrio vulnificus can infect people through direct contact with contaminated seawater or by eating contaminated seafood. Infections often begin with intense gastrointestinal symptoms or fever and can progress rapidly to serious tissue damage. In severe cases, individuals may require emergency surgery and face life-threatening sepsis. Health authorities emphasize that rapid diagnosis and treatment are crucial for survival.

Catastrophic surge in lethal flesh-eating bacterial infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus has overwhelmed Gulf Coast medical systems across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, with 32 confirmed cases and eight tragic deaths reported as of July 2025, representing a dramatic escalation that echoes alarming global trends and raises urgent concerns for Thailand’s extensive coastlines where similar environmental conditions create perfect breeding grounds for these dangerous marine pathogens. This unprecedented outbreak, linked primarily to warm saltwater exposure and consumption of contaminated raw shellfish, particularly oysters, demands immediate attention from Thai public health authorities and coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on marine resources and tourism.

A surge in dangerous infections caused by the “flesh-eating” bacterium Vibrio vulnificus has rocked Gulf Coast states in the US, with 32 cases and eight reported deaths across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida as of July 2025, according to state health officials. The outbreak, which marks a notable increase over previous years, is linked primarily to warm saltwater exposure and the consumption of raw shellfish, particularly oysters—a scenario that echoes broader global trends and sparks concern among public health experts across coastal regions, including Thailand and Southeast Asia.

A major outbreak linked to raw milk underscores the dangers of unpasteurized dairy for families in Thailand. In a July report, public health officials described a cluster of Salmonella infections tied to a California dairy. More than 160 people, including many young children, fell ill after consuming raw milk products, prompting a cross-agency response and renewed reminders about dairy safety.

The outbreak spanned September 2023 to March 2024. It began with nine California cases and grew to 171 cases overall, including 67 children under five and 40 aged five to twelve. About 70 percent of those affected were children and teens, with 22 hospitalizations. There were no fatalities, but the event ranks among the largest raw-dairy-related outbreaks in recent US history. Data from public health authorities highlight both the scale and the vulnerability of young patients in such incidents.

A new report has detailed one of the most significant raw milk-related disease outbreaks in recent United States history, after over 160 people—most of them young children—fell ill due to Salmonella infections linked to raw milk products from a single California dairy farm. The incident, chronicled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on July 24, has renewed calls for consumer caution and public health awareness around unpasteurized dairy, with important lessons for Thai readers as interest in “fresh” and natural foods continues to rise both globally and domestically.