Flesh-eating bugIn 1994, British doctors explained a “deadly flesh-eating bug”outbreak in England, attributing the cluster of exceptionally intense infections to the common Streptococcus bacterium. Eleven people in Gloucestershire had died, and others had been injured by a toxin that dissolved flesh and fat which came from the bacteria's unusually virulent attack. This rare, but long-known, disease, necrotizing fasciitis, is fatal if not quickly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics and prompt removal of the infected tissues. The group A streptococcicause a wide variety of diseases, more than any other microorganism, and are most frequently associated with simple sore throats and fever. By 2001, scientists had sequenced the genome of streptococci-A to further research in treatment and prevention.«.[Image: Sep 2008. A patient recovering after three operations to remove tissues infected by necrotizing fasciitis, followed by skin grafting.] |
