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A flesh-eating bacteria, present in drinking water
Necrotizing fasciitis is a disease caused by an organism found in the water seeps into open wounds
By Jacque Wilson and John Bonifield
Monday, May 14, 2012 at 16:31
The most common where the disease is contracted in the water (Courtesy SXC).
The most important
The Aeromonas hydrophila is found in almost all environments and brackish water
Cause gastrointestinal infections whose severity depends on the ability of the immune system to fight against it
The Aeromonas can also enter through an open wound and reproduce rapidly under the tissue
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(CNN) - It sounds like horror movie. A microorganism enters through an open wound and begins to burn your body from within.
Unfortunately, the flesh-eating bacteria causing necrotizing fasciitis, not fiction. Aimee Copeland, an American student, 24, is struggling to survive in an Augusta hospital after contracting a type of bacteria known as Aeromonas hydrophila , during a zip line adventure.
Copeland and lost a leg and part of his abdomen by a virulent bacteria, and may now lose his fingers.
The Aeromonas hydrophila is found in most if not all environments or brackish water (water that contains salt, but not salt water), according to Bad Bug Book ( Book of the bad bugs ) in the Directorate Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English).
Sometimes it is swallowed by swimmers, causing stomach or intestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. It can also be found in fish and shellfish.
The severity of gastrointestinal infection depends on the ability of your immune system to fight it, according to the Mayo Clinic, USA.
The Aeromonas hydrophila can also enter the body through an open wound, as happened in the case of Copeland. When that happens, the flesh eating bacteria reproduce rapidly. This bacterium is adept at hiding the body's immune system, according to the National Foundation for Necrotizing fasciitis in the United States.
If necrotizing fasciitis is detected early, it can only skin or fat need to be removed. But if the infection is detected later, amputation may be necessary to stop the spread of bacteria.
When aeromomnas hydrophila enters through an open wound, the diagnosis is difficult because the bacteria does its damage deep in the tissue and does not manifest on the surface of the skin, says Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases in the United States.
Patients should pay attention to any pain in a wound closed, as well as redness and oozing, Schaffner told CNN.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for short) estimates that in the U.S. each year there are 10,000 cases of group A streptococcus, a group of bacteria including necrotizing fasciitis. Approximately 20% of cases of necrotizing fasciitis are fatal, according to the CDC.