“Flesh-eating bacteria” is probably the least pleasant-sounding phrase in the world. It might seem likely that flesh eating bacteria are only found in developing countries, where disease spreads quickly and living conditions are terrible. That’s not the case, though – there are plenty of flesh eating bacterial infections right here in the United States.
In Florida, there is currently an outbreak of flesh eating bacteria in the coastal waters. The Vibrio Vulnificus bacteria has infected 27 people in Florida in 2013 so far, and nine people have died. 2012 and 2011 saw comparable data: 27 infections and 9 fatalities, and 35 infections and 10 fatalities, respectively.
The bacteria occur naturally, and (in Florida, at least) it is generally transmitted by eating raw shellfish or in open water. The severity of the infection typically depends on the victim’s health. A suppressed immune system or poor liver condition can allow the bacteria to spread more quickly, leading to death. If the infection is caught quickly enough, antibiotics and surgical removal of infected skin can save a person’s limb. But if the test results take too long or a doctor can’t recognize the early stages of the disease, amputation may be necessary to stop the infection from spreading.
Besides living in the ocean, flesh-eating bacteria also live in the hospital. After a minor surgery, c-section, or even a skin graft, a patient can contract the bacteria and need to fight for her life. Perhaps the infection occurs in the hospital, or perhaps the infection happens after the patient leaves the hospital and the open wound is exposed in the wrong place.
Necrotizing fasciitis is the medical term for an infection from these bacteria. They don’t technically “eat flesh;” rather, they kill cells and spread very quickly. Bacteria release toxins into neighboring cells, and they divide very quickly to spread rapidly throughout the body. It seems that they “eat” skin because the skin progressively turns black and dies if the infection spreads.
The CDC reminds those concerned that necrotizing fasciitis is very rare in healthy people who take care of their wounds properly. Diabetes, kidney disease and cancer can suppress the immune system which makes a person more likely to contract the bacteria. It can be difficult to determine a positive case of the disease because symptoms start as pain or soreness, accompanied by purple and red swollen areas. Although the wound may look manageable by sight, patients describe terrible pain.
There are about 650-800 cases in the United States every year, though the number does not seem to be rising. Even if the number of cases remains comparable, the high number of infections indicates more research needs to be devoted to the study of the progression of the disease. Doctors need to know how to recognize it quickly and treat it effectively, while the public need to understand how to protect themselves.