HJNO Sep/Oct 2025

28 SEP / OCT 2025  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Healthcare Briefs Louisiana Department of Health Urges Caution to Prevent Vibrio Vulnificus Infection The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to take precautions to prevent infection from Vibrio vulnificus . The department is seeing a higher number of Vibrio vulnificus cases and deaths than are typically reported. So far in 2025, 17 cases of Vibrio vulnificus have been reported among Louisiana residents. All of these patients were hospitalized, and four of these illnesses resulted in death. During the same time period over the previous 10 years, an average of seven Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death have been reported each year in Louisiana. Of those 17 cases, 75% reported wound/seawa- ter exposure. Vibrio are bacteria that naturally live in warm coastal waters and are found in higher numbers between May and October, when water temperatures are warmer. Vibrio bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, partic- ularly oysters. Vibrio infection can result in gastro- intestinal illness, wound infection, or blood poi- soning (bloodstream infection). About a dozen species of Vibrio can cause a human illness. Some Vibrio species, such as Vib- rio vulnificus , can cause severe and life-threaten- ing infections. Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need inten- sive care or limb amputation. About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill. Anyone can get a Vibrio infection. However, some medical conditions and treatments can increase the risk for infection and severe compli- cations, including: • Having liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia. • Receiving immune-suppressing therapy for the treatment of a disease. • Taking medicine that decreases stomach acid levels. • Having had recent stomach surgery. Common gastrointestinal signs and symptoms of Vibrio infection: • Watery diarrhea • Stomach cramps • Nausea • Vomiting • Fever • Chills Signs and symptoms of Vibrio wound infection: • Fever • Redness • Pain • Swelling • Warmth • Discoloration • Discharge Signs and symptoms of Vibrio bloodstream infection: • Fever • Chills • Dangerously low blood pressure • Blistering skin lesions Safety precautions include: • Staying out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes) or cover your wound with a waterproof ban- dage if there's a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices. • Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices. • If you develop a skin infection, tell your medical provider if your skin has come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw sea- food, or raw seafood juices. • Use caution when consuming raw or under- cooked seafood, especially if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or have certain medical conditions like liver or stomach disorders. • Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish. • Avoid contaminating cooked seafood with raw seafood and their juices. If you are in a group at higher risk for severe infection: • Wear clothes and shoes that can protect you from cuts and scrapes when in brack- ish or salt water. • Wear protective gloves when handling raw seafood. DCHC’s Matthew Piccard Graduates from Jefferson Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Program Matthew Picard, DePaul Community Health Centers’ vice president of mission integration, recently graduated from the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Jefferson program. Piccard joined more than 40 emerging lead- ers from across the parish to explore pressing issues facing the community, including educa- tion, healthcare, economic development, state legislation, and more. Piccard was also selected by his peers to serve as graduation speaker. NewDrug Targets ‘Zombie Cells’ in Effort to Prevent Liver Disease, Cancer A new drug candidate developed by Tulane University researchers may work to prevent a common type of fatty liver disease. The disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), sometimes leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Linked to obesity and diabetes, MASLD affects 38% of adults and is believed to be caused by the spread of senescent cells in the liver. Also called “zombie cells,” these cells have stopped func- tioning but continue to live, attacking the liver, spreading toxins, and setting the stage for a num- ber of related liver diseases. In a study published in Nature Aging, the newly developed drug called 753b targets and degrades two proteins that senescent cells rely on to survive. In mice, the drug, which is part of a broad class of senescent cell-targeting drugs called senolytics, successfully reduced the amount of fat and scar tissue built up in the liver caused by the senescent cells. In addition to the drug selectively targeting senescent cells and slowing the progression of MASLD, it also halted the development of asso- ciated liver diseases and hepatocellular carci- noma, which is the most common form of liver cancer. The study found that treatment with 753b actually reduced the size of liver tumors in mice with MASLD, as long as the cancer was not fully established. The study was a collaboration between Tulane