Infected with 'flesh-eating bacteria' after being bitten by relative

America When trying to stop a family fight, Donnie Adams, 52 years old, was bitten on the thigh by a relative, causing him to be infected with flesh-eating bacteria.

The man spent several weeks in hospital and three months in intensive care after being discharged to ensure the wound on his thigh healed. He now has scars on his leg and occasional pain, but his health has returned to normal.

The incident happened in February, during a gathering of the Adams family. An unfortunate conflict occurred during the party and some people got into a fight, causing Adams to intervene and was bitten on his left thigh. The bite then became red and swollen, the size of a coin, causing prolonged pain.

On February 14, Adams decided to go to HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg for a checkup and tetanus shot. Three days later, he could barely walk and had to return to the hospital.

This time, Adams was diagnosed with flesh-eating bacteria and had to undergo emergency surgery to amputate part of his thigh. Doctors had to remove about 70% of the tissue from the front of his thigh. A second surgery was needed to remove the remaining infected flesh.

“Flesh-eating bacteria” is the common name for the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes necrotizing fasciitis. It is a potential danger to swimmers and those with open wounds or cuts on the body. The bacteria spreads quickly, killing the tissue around the muscles and nerves. Doctors at HCA Florida Northside Hospital said they had never seen a case like Adams’, where the infection originated from another person’s bite.

Donnie Adams (right) after being treated for a bite wound to his thigh. Photo: HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital — Donnie Adams (right) after being treated for a bite wound to his thigh. Photo: *HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital*

The warm, moist environment of the human mouth is a perfect breeding ground for a variety of bacteria, which are normally digested by stomach acid, doctors said. Adams's wound allowed them to penetrate the underlying tissue.

"Human bites are even dirtier than dog bites, in terms of the conditions in which bacteria thrive," said Dr. Fritz Brink, Adams' primary care physician.

If Adams had waited another day to return to the hospital, the infection could have spread to his abdomen, putting the man at high risk of sepsis, he said.

To help his leg recover quickly, doctors used a procedure called wound VAC therapy. They inserted a sponge into the missing tissue, covered it with a plastic drape, and then used negative pressure to stimulate new blood vessels to form, speeding up the healing process. Adams had to change the bandage three times a week.

Thuc Linh (According to Tampa Bay Times )

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