Flesh-eating bacteria kills a 44-year-old man in Kolkata; know all about the rare infection

New Delhi: Doctors in Kolkata said a 44-year-old man died of an infection caused by a flesh-eating bacterium last week.

The bacteria, called necrotizing fasciitis, according to doctors is a rare infection of the skin and tissues and can rapidly kill a person if not treated well in time.

According to media reports, the deceased had sustained an injury some days back when an iron rod gashed his lower hip as he fell from a train. He was treated for a week locally, before being shifted to a hospital even as the infection spread fast.
Tuberculosis firmly on the rise after years of decline: WHO; know all about the bacterial disease

“The patient was in severe respiratory distress and a very toxic condition. We immediately admitted him in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), put him on ventilation, and started treatment without delay,” surgery professor Dr. Himansu Roy who treated Mrinmoy told Times of India.

The doctors, through investigation, found out that necrotizing fasciitis had caused a massive infection that had eaten into his lower limb and genital area.

Himansu said by the time they could get to the patient the deadly bacteria had already infected him severely. The organisms had entered the soft tissues through the breach in the skin.