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. Cases in the U. Persons with the flesh-eating infection know something is wrong because of extreme pain in the infected area. Generally, an infection begins at a surgical wound or because of accidental trauma—sometimes without an obvious break in the skin—accompanied by severe pain, followed by swelling, fever, and sometimes confusion.
The skin in the infected area can become tight and discolored from the swelling. Unless treatment is initiated promptly, shock and death usually follow in a short time.
The bacteria can also spread through close personal contact. For example, kissing or sharing drinking cups, forks, spoons or cigarettes. There is no vaccine to prevent group A streptococcal infections. Antibiotics are recommended if you have close contact with someone who has necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A streptococcus for example, if you live in the same household. Since this severe form of streptococcal infection can progress so rapidly, the best approach is to get medical attention as soon as symptoms occur.
Remember, an important clue to this disease is very severe pain at the site of a wound. Always take good care of minor cuts to reduce the chance of the tissues under the skin getting infected. If you have a small cut or wound, wash it well in warm soapy water, and keep it clean and dry with a bandage.
Antibiotics are an important part of the treatment for necrotizing fasciitis. However, antibiotics on their own are not usually enough. This is because necrotizing fasciitis cuts off the blood supply to body tissue, and the antibiotics must be carried by blood to the infected site to work. Surgery, combined with antibiotics, is the usual treatment. Your chances of getting necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A streptococcus are very low.
Even if you have close contact with a person with necrotizing fasciitis for a long time, the chance of getting it is very low. Some people are known to have a higher risk of getting the disease. Injection drug use is the biggest risk factor. Other risk factors include:. A recent chickenpox infection can greatly increase the risk of getting necrotizing fasciitis. Although chickenpox does not account for very many cases, streptococcus skin infections can be a complication of chickenpox.
Everyone who has not had chickenpox or the chickenpox varicella vaccine should get the vaccine. Despite the news headlines, you can still enjoy the beach, oysters, and the coastal waters. However, a few safety tips can decrease the chance of you contracting the illness. The CDC offers the following tips to reduce your risk of vibriosis:. Although everybody should be cautious of the risk factors for contracting vibriosis, those with conditions that put them at a higher risk should be especially careful.
If you or someone you know have recently been exposed to raw or undercooked oysters and started to experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and the characteristic rash, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Although early symptoms of vibriosis from Vibrio vulnificus can be treated with oral antibiotics and antiemetics, more severe cases may require hospitalization, IV antibiotics, and if wounds are present, surgical evaluations. Vibriosis is a condition that can be difficult to spot. It occurs underneath the skin. Early medical intervention can promote favorable outcomes and can prevent surgical procedures and the late life-threatening manifestations of the illness.
Go swimming, boating, and eat carefully. If we are all a little bit prudent with understanding this infection, we will all do just fine.
Learn more about him at his website. Research shows ocean water can change your skin microbiome, but experts say it's still safe for most people to dive in. After a man with a new tattoo died from swimming, skin care experts are urging people to avoid the water if they have a new tattoo or open wound.
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Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that affects the digestive system. The Shigella bacterium is spread through contact with contaminated feces.
As a boil on the skin matures, it typically develops a visible core of pus.
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