India, Sept. 1 -- Two people recently succumbed to the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus after consuming contaminated oysters in Louisiana. The total number of infections in the state has reached 34. The state's overall death toll has risen to six, as reported by the Irish Star. Jennifer Armentor, molluscan shellfish program administrator at the Louisiana Department of Health, has described the situation as "just prolific right now."

Vibrio vulnificus is now an annual threat along the Gulf Coast and the Eastern Seaboard of the US. These bacteria are known to thrive in seawater and in the mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most of the infections are reported from May to October, largely in states along the Gu...