Flesh-Eating Bacteria Is Real and This Is How It Works

Each year, we hear stories about new (and old) cases of flesh-eating bacteria, but what exactly is this invasive infection and how is it contracted? Let’s flesh it out.

Flesh-eating bacteria is something straight out of a horror film—think ‘Cabin Fever’ (1, 2 and 3). But the flesh-eating disease, also known as a necrotizing infection, is very real and though it is quite rare, cases do occur around the globe every year.

In this SICK, we sit down with Dr. Isaac Chiu, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Immunology, to find out more about the highly invasive infection.

There are a few ways you can get the bacteria that causes a necrotizing infection: an insect bite, an open wound, or coming into contact with brackish water. But one of the main types of bacteria that cause this flesh-eating disease is from the same family as strep throat.

600 million people a year get strep throat, and in rare cases, that same pathogen can cause necrotizing fasciitis, or the cell death of the body’s soft tissue.

So how does the bacteria become so aggressive and dangerous causing this invasive type of soft tissue infection?

Find out the answer and more in this SICK.

#flesheating #bacteria #strepthroat #infection #disease #Seeker #Health #SICK
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Read More:

For 'Flesh-Eating' Bacteria, Your Agonizing Pain Is Their Pleasure
They injected mice with S. pyogenes, as well as another compound: botulinum neurotoxin A, a protein used to smooth facial wrinkles and treat muscle spasms. Botulinum toxin — also known as Botox — works by blocking nerve signals. In the infected mice, this prevented the bacteria from gaining the upper hand, regardless of whether the mice received the nerve-blocking agent before or after they were exposed to S. pyogenes.

What to know about flesh-eating bacteria infections
Flesh-eating bacteria infections may look similar to other diseases in the early stages, which can make diagnosis difficult. Here's how to spot it before it's too late.

Necrotizing Fasciitis: All You Need to Know
There are many types of bacteria that can cause the “flesh-eating disease” called necrotizing fasciitis. Public health experts believe group A Streptococcus (group A strep) are the most common cause of necrotizing fasciitis. This web page only focuses on necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A strep bacteria.
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SICK is a new series that looks at how diseases actually work inside our body. We'll be visiting medical centers and talking to top researchers and doctors to uncover the mysteries of viruses, bacteria, fungi and our own immune system. Come back every Tuesday for a new episode and let us know in the comments which diseases you think we should cover next.
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[ChrisRaynorMD]

There are a few things in medicine that frighten me. Necrotizing fasciitis is one of those things. I have been involved with several cases and it is always amazing just how quickly this infection spreads through the body, AND how much tissue you have to remove to get ahead of this problem. Thanks for informing the general public on this rare, but challenging problem.

[zaaieer]

that laughter at the end on the "get it treated" is very reassuring

[meandnoother]

2:13 I missed literally everything they said cause I was rocking to that sick drum beat

[Master_Therion]

My friend contracted flesh-eating bacteria. He survived, but the treatment was very expensive. It cost him an arm and a leg.

[El-RaShahzad]

*I have literally learned so much since I have had my fasciotomies in my left arm. Proper and thorough hygiene is key to not getting these issues, along with going to a doctor right away when pain, redness, and swelling appear*

[sebastianelytron]

What is the one thing all zombies want?



Piece of mind

[jasmineros-davison]

My aunt had this 9 years ago from a small bite on her elbow. She was told to call us to say her goodbyes as they felt she had only a 10% chance of surviving her surgery. She went from being OK to almost dying in 2 days. She's lucky to be alive now but lost most of the flesh on her arm and it came across her chest and breast as well.

[beverlyanne]

I was a medic in the army in toronto just starting out and signed up for an opportunity for Over seas tours. I thought, my Nursing schooling had not taught much on immunology and pathogenesis of some diseases. So I went to my schools library and picked up some textbooks on relative subjects to the regions I had requested. I was so praising God I had. I went to visit my folks one day and my dad had a weeping wound on his arm. Just happened to be that in one of those text books it had covered how tropical fish can cause necrotizing fascittis. My dad had been cleaning his fish tank with a wound on his arm. I sent him to the emerg, the Doctor totally agreed and put him on strong anti-biotics. I was 20 years old and earnt so much of dad respect that day. I still absorb textbooks like most people do magazines.

[ianmacfarlane]

Flesh eating bacteria with Dr Chew.🍽️🥩

[berryberrykixx]

My boyfriend caught this. He works in a warehouse and he had type 2 diabetes. Despite having diabetic neuropathy to an extent, he called me to come to his work and take a look at his foot because he could barely put pressure on it. He though he may have fratures in his foot. When I took a look, he couldn't feel me barely touching the bottom of his foot, but it hurt like crazy to touch above his toes. There was one tiny spot, and a little bit of redress above his middle toe.
I took him to the local hospital and they took an xray and said it was a fracture, and sent him home. Something wasn't sitting well with me, and after an hour or so I told him to get up, we're getting another opinion. We went to the hospital in town that had the vascular clinic and the teaching hospital. I pointed out what I saw to the doctor, and he knew exactly what was happening. It was in very early stages, but his diabetes put him in the ICU for 2 weeks. He would get IV vancomycin and an IV of broad-spectrum antibiotics four times daily. Even on Dilaudid he could barely move his foot. Eventually they had to go in and cut it all out. He didn't lose any appendages but he's got a hell of a scar to show for it.

[baasbassinnababylonrobert-]

one of my friends had this bacteria in a wound on his leg
He strugled for years, had to change bandage 2 times a day,
he almost lost his leg because of it.
It can bee very bad, even deadly! its now joke AT ALL! terible!

[teethgrinder]

Why did I watch this-I've currently a massive wound on my leg after having a skin graft because I had huge swelling from a badly broken leg, now I've something else to worry about 😂

[ricolinii]

I had MSRA and it was the scariest thing ever, so I could imagine how bad the other stuff is.

[christinafelger]

I have cancer and I want to freak out everytime I learn about these

[emlinegar]

I had this on my leg after an accident. I had to spend 2 weeks in the hospital and had to wear a 'vaccum' on my leg for months. I'm super anxious about infections, but I have a cool scar now.

[justlivemyway]

Lost my dad to this😔 He was 68 and diabetic. He passed away within 3 days of acquiring it. A small scratch on his foot led to this😑

[Adam-lcmk]

I almost lost my finger due to this. Was working at a restaraunt and had to clean the grease trap cut my finger while doing it. I got lucky.

[santanaoutlaw]

Really didn’t need to see this as there is currently a rash on the back of my hand. I was gonna wait for it to go away, NOW I have to go to the doctor. Thanks

[QueenetBowie]

Just started appearing at our local beaches, every time I go out in the ocean this is in the back of my mind.

[brandonanderson]

Colloidal silver...my uncle contracted necrotizing fasciitis. I spent over an hour on the phone with the cdc in California. Thats the best thing we could come up with...