Flesh-eating bacteria found in Gulf of Mexico kills one swimmer, infects three others

There is concern on the Louisiana Gulf Coast after officials say four swimmers contracted flesh-eating bacteria, and one of them died.

The victims were supposedly swimming in seawater near the areas of New Orleans and Thibodaux, Louisiana. But doctors say the flesh-eating bacteria has been detected in gulf waters in several states, including Texas.

The bacteria, known as Vibrio vulnificus, sickens people in two ways -- by eating raw shellfish and by entering through an open wound.

"You get bacteria into certain wounds, and they can cause a lot of tissue destruction by virtue of the fact that these bacteria produce enzymes that break down the tissue," said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious and tropical disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine.

People with normal immune systems typically fight off Vibrio, but those with weakened immune systems -- including the young and elderly -- can become seriously ill and die.

Health officials are warning everyone to be alert, especially since higher temperatures could increase the growth of potentially deadly bacteria.

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