A rare but deadly germ is spreading along the Gulf Coast this summer. Doctors call it Vibrio vulnificus. Most people just call it flesh-eating bacteria.

Health leaders in Louisiana say five people died this year after they got sick from it. Nine people got sick in total. Florida has had 14 cases and two deaths. Now health leaders are warning people at Texas beaches to take the threat seriously too.

This matters for South Texas. The germ lives in warm, salty water all along the Gulf Coast. That means the beaches at South Padre Island, Port Isabel, and Corpus Christi. Not just Louisiana and Florida. The germ loves warm water. That is the same water that draws families to the coast every summer.

Southeast Texas sits near the Louisiana line. Four cases have been found across the state so far this year. One case came from near Houston. Dr. Joseph Dressler is the coroner for Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. That is just across the line from Orange County, Texas. He said his county has seen "a few patients... some resulting in amputation and death."

Galveston County has had five cases so far in 2026. That is close to its normal yearly average of about 10 cases. Two people had to go to the hospital. Both got better. Both got infected through cuts that touched beach water, said Dr. Philip Keiser. He is the county's top local health leader.

"Any type of chronic liver disease, people who have any other type of immunosuppression, we're seeing a lot of that lately, would put you at higher risk," Keiser said.

The germ gets into the body two ways. One way is through a cut that touches warm seawater. The other way is by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, like oysters. Once inside a wound, the germ can eat away skin and muscle fast. It can spread through the whole body in hours. About one in five people who get infected dies. Some die within a day or two of getting sick.

Watch for these warning signs after time in Gulf water. Fever. Chills. A drop in blood pressure. Skin sores that fill with fluid. Stomach cramps or throwing up. These signs can show up fast, so do not wait to get checked.

This threat is not new to the Gulf Coast. Texas sees dozens of cases most years. Most happen between May and October, when the water warms up. The state had 35 cases in 2021. That number dropped to 21 in 2022. It rose again to 26 in 2023 and 25 in 2024. Louisiana usually sees about seven cases and one death a year. This year's count of nine cases and five deaths is already much higher than normal. Nearby states are seeing cases too. Mississippi has had 29 cases with no deaths. Alabama has had six cases.

People most at risk have health problems. That means liver disease, diabetes, cancer, HIV, kidney disease, or a weak immune system. Older adults also face higher risk. But healthy people can still get sick too. This happens most often through open cuts in the water.

No cases have shown up yet at South Padre Island. None have shown up in the Rio Grande Valley either. But the same warm, salty water is along the whole Texas coast. It is causing trouble in Louisiana and Galveston right now. Doctors say the smart move is to check the Texas Beach Watch program first. Go to texasbeachwatch.com before a beach trip. It tracks bacteria levels at Texas beaches.

Doctors have simple advice for anyone at the beach. Cover any open cut, scrape, or fresh tattoo first. Use a bandage that keeps water out. Or just stay out of the water until it heals. Anyone who gets a fever or chills after the beach should see a doctor right away. The same goes for a wound that turns red, swollen, or fills with fluid. Waiting can turn a small problem into a deadly one in just hours.