A lethal bacteria lurking in coastal waters has claimed the lives of five residents in Louisiana this year, marking a concerning rise during the summer months.

With this alarming increase, state health officials are warning beach enthusiasts to protect themselves against Vibrio vulnificus. This particularly hazardous strain of Vibrio bacteria can lead to drastic and dangerous health complications, including severe gastrointestinal issues, infections in wounds, or even blood poisoning.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the gravity of this threat, noting that approximately 20% of those infected succumb to the illness, sometimes within just 24 to 48 hours.

The bacteria thrive in coastal waters, with their concentrations peaking between May and October when higher water temperatures create an ideal environment for proliferation.

The Louisiana Department of Health reports that this year, nine cases have necessitated hospitalization. This figure starkly contrasts with the previous decade’s annual average of seven cases and one fatality during the same timeframe.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Vibrio vulnificus as the surge continues.

How do people get Vibrio vulnificus?

Vibrio vulnificus is most often contracted by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, the CDC reports.

Infection can also occur when an open wound such as an unhealed cut or scrape, recent piercing or tattoo, comes in contact with coastal waters. These include salt water and brackish water, a mixture of salt and fresh water. The bacteria is often found where rivers meet the ocean.

Florida historically reports the most Vibrio vulnificus cases in the US, with hurricanes and other sever weather increasing exposure risk from floodwaters and standing water. Florida has reported 14 cases and 2 deaths this year, compared with 33 cases and five deaths last year.

In 2025, Basil Kennedy, 77, fell ill after he scraped his leg on a boat trailer. He cleaned and bandaged the wound and never entered the water, but was hospitalized when his health suddenly and sharply declined, Fox 8 Live reported.

“His leg started to slowly swell,” his daughter told Fox 8 Live. “Then, it became a little bit red, and it was like, ‘OK, something’s not right here.’ But then, once it really took hold in the leg, I mean we were just watching it swell, blister, fluid — everything you expect from the flesh-eating bacteria.”

Kennedy died three days after the incident.

Anyone can get Vibrio vulnificus, but severe cases are highest among elderly people and people who:

• Have liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV or thalassemia

What are the symptoms?

Common signs of Vibrio vulnificus include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills.

Signs of a wound infection include fever, redness, drainage or discharge, skin discoloration, pain, swelling or warmth around the wound.

Signs of bloodstream infection include fever, chills dangerously low blood pressure and blistering skin lesions.

How is it treated?

Antibiotics are not recommended to treat mild infections, according to the CDC, though they can be used to treat severe or prolonged infections.

Wound infections, however, are treated with antibiotics and surgery — possibly including amputation— to remove dead or infected tissue.

The CDC recommends that people with diarrhea or vomiting drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration. It also advises immediately seeing a doctor or going to the emergency room when experiencing symptoms of a Vibrio vulnificus infection: “Do not wait.”

Tell the health care provider about any recent consumption of raw or undercooked seafood, especially oysters, or any open wound that may have come in contact with coastal water or raw or undercooked seafood or its drippings.

Brad Pitt has candidly shared that he has resumed drinking alcohol after a seven-year hiatus from sobriety.

The actor originally gave up drinking nine years ago following his separation from Angelina Jolie, prompted by allegations of alcohol-fueled incidents during a tumultuous private jet flight involving their family.

Since then, the Hollywood star, who also owns a winery, publicly distanced himself from alcohol, dedicating himself to overcoming his personal struggles through Alcohol Anonymous meetings.

At 62, Pitt has chosen to reintroduce alcohol into his life, approaching it with newfound awareness and moderation.

During an extensive conversation with Esquire, Pitt disclosed he was “back off the wagon” after the interviewer spotted him offering a glass of wine, signaling his cautious return to drinking.

When asked if the beverage was for guests, Pitt responded: ‘No, I got—I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,’ he said, offering a little laugh.

‘In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, “yep, nope, not good for me.” Not in big quantities.’

Pitt clarified he was now able to ‘have a few’ glasses of wine but is unable to indulge any further.  

‘Yeah. Well… I can have a few. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it,’ Pitt said. 

‘He likes mornings now anyway, and you can miss a lovely morning when you drink too much the night before, and it’s just not as interesting,’ the profile noted of Pitt. ‘Mornings are interesting, and he doesn’t want any more of them to go by unseen.’

Pitt has had a complicated relationship with alcohol that is alleged to have been the source of issues he has suffered with his family. 

His marriage with Angelina Jolie ended after a volatile plane incident in 2016 in which the actor was accused of being physically abusive towards both his wife and children. 

In a 2022 court filing, Jolie alleged Pitt had been drinking during the flight and poured alcohol on herself and the children, according to CNN.

‘At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children.’

Pitt denied the allegations and he was never charged in connection with the alleged incident following an FBI investigation.  

A source close to Pitt told CNN at the time the court filing was released: ‘All parties have had this information for nearly six years and was used in previous legal proceedings. There is nothing new here and serves no purpose other than being a media stunt meant to inflict pain.’

A year later, the self-proclaimed ‘professional’ drinker was sober.

‘I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground,’ he told GQ in 2017. ‘I had to step away for a minute. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good.’ 

For a year and a half, Pitt was in Alcoholics Anonymous, confiding in other men about the ‘ugly sides’ of himself. 

‘You had all these men sitting around being open and honest in a way I have never heard,’ he told The New York Times. ‘It was this safe space where there was little judgment, and therefore little judgment of yourself.’

‘It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself,’ he said. ‘There’s great value in that.’

Pitt’s relationship with alcohol went beyond personal and into business.

During their marriage, Pitt and Jolie bought the French winery Chateau Miraval – a property that is now at the center of their legal ordeal.

Jolie sold her stake in it in part because of Pitt’s ‘acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family.’

‘Resigned that Pitt would not share control of the winery or distribute any profits, concerned about participating in a business that was associated with such painful and traumatic memories for her and their children, and seeking financial independence, Jolie concluded that she needed to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval,’ court documents stated. 

For a decade, Pitt and Jolie were seen as Hollywood’s ‘It’ couple during their long-term relationship.

They married in August 2014 during a secret ceremony in the South of France and welcomed three children together during their romance: Shiloh, 20, in 2006, and twins Vivienne and Knox, both 18, in 2008.

They also adopted two more, Zahara, 21, and Pax, 22, and Brad legally adopted the son that Angelina had adopted before they got together, Maddox, 25.

Yet the split has since seemingly exposed rifts between Pitt and his children, with many of them choosing to drop his last name in recent years. 

Last month, the actor’s daughter Vivienne, 18, followed in the footsteps of her three older siblings and filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to drop Pitt from her name. 

The reason behind the teenager’s name change is listed as ‘personal’, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. An official court hearing is scheduled for November 2.

The actor’s daughter Zahara and son Maddox also published notices revealing their intentions to drop Pitt from their last names.

The advertisements were both published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal throughout June and July.

Last year, Shiloh, who was born Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, legally changed her name to Shiloh Jolie. Aside from Pax, Vivienne’s twin brother Knox is the only other sibling who has yet to formally drop the actor’s surname.

Pitt addressed the ‘family stuff’ during his Esquire interview, admitting he battled suicidal thoughts amid his estrangement from his children with his ex-wife

Pitt explained how the pain he felt was so ‘oppressive’ and, while he would never act on it, he struggled to see a way out.

He told Esquire UK: ‘I was never suicidal in any way. It just was not my makeup. In fact, if I have any afflictions, it’s probably being a congenital optimist. Which has helped many times, and it’s also gotten me – I’ve walked foolishly head-on into a Mack truck because of my optimism.

‘Or, as my forever-funny friend David Fincher will say, “Yeah, you see the glass as half full, but it’s half full of urine.”

‘Anyway, I’ve never been suicidal except for one little period. And in that one little period, I just thought – I just couldn’t – just didn’t see a way out. The pain was so oppressive that – I wasn’t going to act on this, but I could feel – I could feel the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it felt like relief.

‘And I thought, “Oh, okay, now I understand” – I understand suicide, in the sense that it’s just relief. It’s just looking for relief from the pain.

‘But I also think we have incredible survival instincts. And for me, that immediately kicked in, but it was just…Yeah. Like, listen: This s**t ain’t easy…And you’re talking to a guy who won the lottery.’

When quizzed by the interviewer, Brad confirmed he was talking about ‘family stuff’.

Now in his sixties, Brad shows no signs of slowing down. His next film, Heart of the Beast, a man-and-his-dog story, will be coming out this autumn followed by Quentin Tarantino’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth in which he stars as a Hollywood stuntman.

He just wrapped up the thriller The Riders a few weeks ago.

He is now happily in a relationship with jewellery executive Ines de Ramon, who resides with him in Los Angeles.

But Brad says he longs to be in his fifties again.

He told Esquire: ‘God, I want my fifties back…I would do more. Your fifties are just – man, anything that’s on your mind, go. Go attack it. Go attack it now.’

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org. 

An international search operation has been launched in pursuit of a man from Arizona, suspected in the tragic deaths of his parents. Authorities discovered their remains buried in the backyard of a residence.

Officials announced on Friday that the bodies were unearthed in the yard of a house in Litchfield Park, Arizona. The suspect, 27-year-old Matthew Flores, has been implicated in both the disappearance and murder of his parents. Investigators believe he has now crossed international borders to evade capture.

The deceased have been confirmed as Flores’ own mother and father, whose tragic end has shocked the local community.

In a press briefing, Avondale Police Officer Daniel Benavidez detailed that officers encountered a significant amount of blood inside the residence, alongside signs of an attempted cleanup, reinforcing suspicions of foul play.

The three people disappeared under “suspicious circumstances,” which led to a missing persons investigation being opened.

A mini excavator was needed to get the bodies out of the backyard.

The FBI and U.S. Marshals service are involved in the search for Flores, who officials believe has fled the country.

“I can’t tell you how many hours or days, but what I can say is that the bodies are in a state of decomposition,” Benavidez said.

People who knew Flores told FOX 10 they were surprised he is considered a suspect, adding they knew him to be a kind and sweet man.

The Flores family said in a statement that they are “devastated.”

“The Flores Semyonov family is devastated by recent events,” the representative said. “They are fully cooperating with law enforcement. Because this is an ongoing investigation, the family respectfully asks for privacy during this difficult time. Their deepest gratitude is extended to their loved ones, neighbors, and the community at large who have expressed concern.”

Liz McGraw has found true happiness since stepping away from “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

In an exclusive chat with Page Six’s podcast “Virtual Reali-Tea,” Alicia Carmody, a close friend and former co-star, shared insights about McGraw’s unexpected decision to leave the show after just one season. Known affectionately as the Cannabis Queen, McGraw’s departure caught many by surprise.

“I’m truly delighted for her; I’ve heard she’s doing incredibly well,” Carmody, 41, revealed as she discussed her new collaboration with Ziploc’s Lunch Confessions campaign. “It takes a lot to showcase your personal life on such a platform, and I’m sure she faced some online criticism.”

Carmody echoed the views of executive producer Andy Cohen, emphasizing that the option for McGraw to return remains open if she ever decides to rejoin the drama.

For now, Carmody, who is in the throes of filming Season 2 of “RHORI,” expressed that she is respecting McGraw’s need for space and allowing her the peace to thrive.

“I love her from afar. I always will love Liz,” she said.

“We started this [show] together,” she added. “I definitely miss her for certain things, but she had to do what she had to do.”

McGraw announced her exit from “RHORI” last month. She said she was taking “a step back” from the show to focus on her “family,” her “work” and her “passions.”

“The ‘RHORI’ cast is an amazing group of women who have created something special,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I’ll be watching next season, rooting for the continued success of this franchise.”

While McGraw didn’t specify exactly why she decided to leave the show, “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Tamra Judge told Page Six that she was “really struggling with the hate on social media.”

Part of that backlash came from McGraw’s clash with Carmody during the debut season of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

As fans saw on the show, McGraw repeatedly challenged Carmody’s claim that she was homeless as a child. Carmody alleged that she and her mother were homeless after her father left them. Meanwhile, McGraw insisted that, because Carmody was able to move into her grandmother’s house, she was never actually without a home.

While McGraw has known Carmody since she was born, the latter told us that they were not as close as the show made it seem.

“No, I wouldn’t go that far,” Carmody said, when we suggested they were “like sisters.”

According to Carmody, she actually grew up “best friends” with McGraw’s niece since McGraw’s sister and Carmody’s mom were extremely close.

“I feel like that wasn’t talked about enough,” Carmody said.

“Me and Liz weren’t besties but we have [had] a connection since I was born, a little girl. I looked up to her.”

“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” Season 1 is currently streaming on Peacock.

Jared Bridegan

The defendants

The prosecution

Defense attorneys

Key witnesses

BOGOTA, Colombia — A devastating earthquake registering 7.4 on the Richter scale rocked western Colombia on Monday, resulting in at least 20 fatalities. This seismic event caused a widespread collapse of buildings, trapping residents under debris, leaving a trail of injuries, and prompting evacuations that extended to the capital city of Bogotá.

Reports from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and its Colombian equivalent pinpointed the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar, a small community nestled in the Choco region, approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogotá. The tremor originated at a depth of 66 miles (107 kilometers), reaching as far as neighboring Ecuador.

Local authorities have confirmed that the earthquake claimed 18 lives in Pereira and another two in Manizales, highlighting the quake’s deadly impact on these communities.

In the aftermath, cities across western Colombia were left in disarray, as residents sifted through the wreckage amidst looming fears of potential aftershocks.

Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver living in Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, recounted seeing clouds of dust rising across the skyline from his mountain home when the buildings crumbled. By Monday morning, residents and rescue teams were actively searching through the ruins for survivors.

“My entire house shook,” he said. “I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake.”

In Manizales, a city nestled in the coffee producing mountains con Colombia, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave. Jorge Eduardo Rojas, the mayor of Manizales said two people had died in the city “because of the quake” and asked residents to stay outside in case of aftershocks.

Choco Gov. Nubia Córdoba said on social media that “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings” in the regional capital of Quibdó, a city of about 130,000 people. She didn’t provide further details.

Footage shared by local media outlets showed homes and small buildings collapsing in the cities of Pereira, Cali and Quibdo.

In Cali, a city 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder said that residents were trapped in at least 19 buildings that had collapsed.

Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia, killed more than 1,100 people.

Colombia’s newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella said Monday that he had personally taken charge of the government’s response to the emergency in San José del Palmar following the earthquake that struck the country.

“You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” he said.

The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.