What type of bacteria is flesh eating

More common infections with group A strep are not only strep throat, but also a skin infection called impetigo. Flesh-eating strep infections or necrotizing fasciitis is considered rare. Necrotizing fasciitis is a treatable disease. Only certain rare bacterial strains are able to cause necrotizing fasciitis, but these infections progress rapidly so the sooner one seeks medical care, the better the chances of survival. The bacteria actually cause extensive tissue damage because the tissues under the skin and those surrounding muscle and body organs are destroyed; necrotizing fasciitis is extensive and can lead to death.

The flesh-eating infections have been described as early as the fifth century B. More than 2, cases of this condition were reported among soldiers during the Civil War. A Singapore Government Agency Website. Mycotoxins in food Use of pesticide in food. Many types of bacteria found in the environment including Streptococcus pyogenes and Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotising fasciitis.

What can you do to protect yourself from necrotising fasciitis? Nonetheless, as a good practice, consumers should observe the following personal and food hygiene habits: Cook food thoroughly before eating. Therefore, doctors may not wait for test results if they think a patient might have necrotizing fasciitis. Necrotizing fasciitis can lead to sepsis , shock, and organ failure.

It can also result in life-long complications from loss of limbs or severe scarring due to surgically removing infected tissue. Even with treatment, up to 1 in 3 people with necrotizing fasciitis die from the infection. Six out of every 10 people who get both necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome at the same time die from their infections.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is another very serious illness caused by group A strep. It causes the body to go into shock and involves low blood pressure and multiple organ failure.

While anyone can get necrotizing fasciitis, it is rare. Most cases of necrotizing fasciitis occur randomly. It is very rare for someone with necrotizing fasciitis to spread the infection to other people. For this reason, doctors usually do not give preventive antibiotics to close contacts of someone with necrotizing fasciitis.

Since , approximately to cases occur each year in the United States. This is likely an underestimate. According to ABCs data, the number of annual group A strep necrotizing fasciitis infections reported to ABCs does not appear to be rising. Some species of bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis produce gas, which results in air under the tissue.

Other early symptoms include a red or swollen area of skin around the cut that spreads quickly, and pain beyond the area of skin that's red, according to the CDC. People who have these symptoms after injury should see their doctor right away, the CDC says. Symptoms often begin within hours of injury.

Patients may also experience flu-like symptoms , including fever, stomachache, nausea, diarrhea, chills and body aches, according to the National Institutes of Health's Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center GARD. Later symptoms of the condition include ulcers, blisters or black spots on the skin and pus oozing from the infected area, the CDC says.