What you need to know about carnivorous bacteria and how to protect yourself from them

In Maryland, a boy became infected with carnivorous bacteria that left deep wounds on his body. The incident occurred during a trip to the beach in Ocean City.

Фото: Depositphotos

According to New York PostAccording to his mother, doctors diagnosed a vibrio in his son as a bacterium that can cause skin rot and necrotizing fasciitis. Now the boy is undergoing treatment.

Rђ RІRѕS, Florida resident died after being infected with a carnivorous bacterium. A woman was walking along the beach when she fell into an underwater pit and cut her leg. In the cut were bacteria that caused fever. She later went to the hospital. It could not be saved.

What you need to know about necrotizing fasciitis, a disease caused by carnivorous bacteria

Every summer, when the air temperature rises and people go to the beaches, pools and lakes, in the media there are reports of a terrible disease that leads to death.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening disease caused by flesh-eating bacteria that usually lives in water. Cases of this disease are extremely rare, with only 20 cases per year in the United States. Edition T collected facts and advice that should be considered to avoid meeting this dangerous bacterium.

What is this?

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), necrotizing fasciitis—commonly known as a flesh-eating bacterium—results in the destruction of the body's soft tissue. The bacteria attack the skin and tissue underneath it (fascia, which surrounds muscles; nerves, fat and blood vessels), often spreading quickly—sometimes at a rate of about an inch (2,5 centimeters) per hour—and leading to toxic shock syndrome.

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How do bacteria enter the body?

According to NORD, bacteria enter the body through an open wound or some external trauma, and sometimes through a puncture in the skin or genitals. After infection, the bacteria spread through soft tissue.

The bacterium most often affects people with impaired immune systems, suffering from cancer, kidney disease, and liver problems.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

A person who has become infected with a bacterium may experience nausea, diarrhea, chills, his temperature rises. As the disease progresses, the skin becomes bright red, swollen and shiny, blistering and, in the worst case, open wounds appear.

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Symptoms usually begin a few hours after the injury and may include severe pain or soreness, similar to a “pulled muscle”. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), puffiness with red or purple spots may appear on the skin.

How is it treated?

According to the CDC, the first step in the treatment of diseases provoked by carnivorous bacteria is the intravenous administration of antibiotics. However, antibiotics do not provide complete recovery, and surgical intervention is often required to remove dead tissue.

Treatment depends on how advanced necrotizing fasciitis is, but the key to stopping the disease and saving someone’s life is to seek immediate medical attention.

What precautions can be taken to prevent infection?

The CDC says that the chances of getting necrotizing fasciitis are very small, especially if you are healthy and you have a strong immune system.

It is important to follow the rules of hygiene for the prevention of disease, as well as provide proper care to all wounds, for example, apply clean dressings. In addition, people who have open wounds should avoid ponds, pools and a jacuzzi.

The CDC notes that necrotizing fasciitis is rarely transmitted from person to person.

How serious is the risk?

Low. Necrotizing fasciitis is very rare, only 20 000 cases in the United States per year. But research shows that climate change has an impact on carnivorous bacteria, and thanks to warmer waters, they spread along the eastern coast. According to a study published by 18 June, earlier bacteria were found mainly along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, where the water temperature remains above 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) all year round, but at least five infections were recorded from 2017 to 2018 years north of Delaware and New Jersey.

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