Recently, a woman in Oregon was surprised by the net result of a shopping trip to a toy store. After reaching to a high shelf to get a toy, she noticed that she had cut her arm on the way down. She went home, bandaged it, thought nothing of it, and went about her business. What was to follow was a battle for her life, for unknowingly, she had come in contact with a deadly pathogen, a rare form of flesh-eating strep bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis. She was one of over 800 cases diagnosed in the United States that year, with over 25 percent resulting in death. Within 24 hours after the infection, she, and others like her, experienced the following symptoms:
- Some minor pain in general area of wound (most dismissed this as insignificant)
- Pain that grew proportionately worse with time
- Flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, confusion, dizziness, weakness, and general malaise
- Intense thirst due to dehydration
- A combination of all these symptoms, which made the victims feel worse than they had ever felt before
Without treatment, the disease progresses quickly, and within 48 hours the following may occur:
- The infected, painful area begins to swell and may turn from blue to purple to black.
- The area may begin to show large, dark marks that will become blisters filled with black, pus-like fluid that may begin to drain or weep.
- The skin in the area will appear to die, taking on a bluish, white, or dark flaky appearance.
If the disease progresses without effective treatment, the following will occur:
- Blood pressure may drop severely.
- The person may sweat profusely, get the chills, and have clammy, cool skin.
- The body may go into toxic shock.
- The person may lapse into sleep or coma-like state, characterized by unresponsiveness and disorientation.
- The person may finally lapse into unconsciousness as the body becomes too weak to fight the disease.
Early treatments for the disease include antibiotic therapy, treatment in a pure oxygen chamber to speed healing, immuno-boosting therapies, and rest. If victims don’t die, they may be left with a wide range of injuries an deformities, ranging from scarring to amputated limbs.
Because the bacteria is so lethal, it takes only a very small opening, as small as a tiny pin prick or even a bruise, blister, or scrape for the bacteria to take hold. These bacteria are related I germs that cause strep throat and can be passed along even when only а droplet from a sneeze or cough by someone carrying it reaches an open wound. Preventive measures include thorough hand washing, especially after coughing and sneezing or before preparing foods or eating. Because door handles, toilet handles, handles on grocery carts, and other commonly touched items often are teeming with bacteria, hand washing becomes even more important in public places. About 15-30 percent of the population are carriers of strep A bacteria, in most cases with no symptoms and without being contagious.
*25/277/5*
FLESH-EATING BACTERIA: VICIOUS ASSAILANTSRecently, a woman in Oregon was surprised by the net result of a shopping trip to a toy store. After reaching to a high shelf to get a toy, she noticed that she had cut her arm on the way down. She went home, bandaged it, thought nothing of it, and went about her business. What was to follow was a battle for her life, for unknowingly, she had come in contact with a deadly pathogen, a rare form of flesh-eating strep bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis. She was one of over 800 cases diagnosed in the United States that year, with over 25 percent resulting in death. Within 24 hours after the infection, she, and others like her, experienced the following symptoms:- Some minor pain in general area of wound (most dismissed this as insignificant)- Pain that grew proportionately worse with time- Flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, confusion, dizziness, weakness, and general malaise- Intense thirst due to dehydration- A combination of all these symptoms, which made the victims feel worse than they had ever felt beforeWithout treatment, the disease progresses quickly, and within 48 hours the following may occur:- The infected, painful area begins to swell and may turn from blue to purple to black.- The area may begin to show large, dark marks that will become blisters filled with black, pus-like fluid that may begin to drain or weep.- The skin in the area will appear to die, taking on a bluish, white, or dark flaky appearance.If the disease progresses without effective treatment, the following will occur:- Blood pressure may drop severely. - The person may sweat profusely, get the chills, and have clammy, cool skin.- The body may go into toxic shock.- The person may lapse into sleep or coma-like state, characterized by unresponsiveness and disorientation.- The person may finally lapse into unconsciousness as the body becomes too weak to fight the disease.Early treatments for the disease include antibiotic therapy, treatment in a pure oxygen chamber to speed healing, immuno-boosting therapies, and rest. If victims don’t die, they may be left with a wide range of injuries an deformities, ranging from scarring to amputated limbs.Because the bacteria is so lethal, it takes only a very small opening, as small as a tiny pin prick or even a bruise, blister, or scrape for the bacteria to take hold. These bacteria are related I germs that cause strep throat and can be passed along even when only а droplet from a sneeze or cough by someone carrying it reaches an open wound. Preventive measures include thorough hand washing, especially after coughing and sneezing or before preparing foods or eating. Because door handles, toilet handles, handles on grocery carts, and other commonly touched items often are teeming with bacteria, hand washing becomes even more important in public places. About 15-30 percent of the population are carriers of strep A bacteria, in most cases with no symptoms and without being contagious.*25/277/5*