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Hurricane Harvey First Responder Gets Flesh-Eating Bacteria From Texas Storm Water
A man in Texas says he got infected with flesh-eating bacteria while helping his neighbors in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey last week.
J.R. Atkins, of Missouri City, Texas, wrote in a Facebook post that he was hospitalized after what he thought was a small bug bite turned into swelling and some numbness in his hand. He had been kayaking through flooded streets to check on his neighbors, Atkins wrote, and noticed the bite when he returned home.
“All was well and people were actually out and about taking,” he wrote. “Came home around 4pm and noticed a small bite on my left arm not huge but probably Nickel sized swelling.”
At first he wasn’t concerned, but when the swelling spread the next morning, Atkins went to Houston Methodist in Sugar Lang, according to KPRC, a local news station. The hospital figured out he had flesh-eating bacteria, or necrotizing fasciitis, and quickly prepared him for several surgeries.
The bacteria Atkins contracted can quickly turn deadly, according to the CDC. Diagnosing the bacteria early, getting antibiotics and surgery are important to stopping its growth.
J.R. Atkins, of Missouri City, Texas, wrote in a Facebook post that he was hospitalized after what he thought was a small bug bite turned into swelling and some numbness in his hand. He had been kayaking through flooded streets to check on his neighbors, Atkins wrote, and noticed the bite when he returned home.
“All was well and people were actually out and about taking,” he wrote. “Came home around 4pm and noticed a small bite on my left arm not huge but probably Nickel sized swelling.”
At first he wasn’t concerned, but when the swelling spread the next morning, Atkins went to Houston Methodist in Sugar Lang, according to KPRC, a local news station. The hospital figured out he had flesh-eating bacteria, or necrotizing fasciitis, and quickly prepared him for several surgeries.
The bacteria Atkins contracted can quickly turn deadly, according to the CDC. Diagnosing the bacteria early, getting antibiotics and surgery are important to stopping its growth.
http://time.com/4933050/hurricane-harvey-texas-flesh-eating-bacteria/
5 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
But is not shocking to me... we've had several cases over the years down at the coastal bend of people being stricken by this same problem!
I hope that the volunteers and rescue workers are taking care with the proper sanitizing tools they need to clean up. 
Our oceans are dirty. It's horrible and a damn shame!
I hope this fellow gets better.
