Flesh Eating Bacteria
There are several different species of flesh-eating bacteria, and they all have different effects on people. Additionally, it is imperative that it gets checked out immediately. Otherwise, it can leave to devastating, sometimes fatal, consequences if left untreated. However, thankfully, there are many remedies that can help combat flesh eating bacteria. If caught early and quickly, it can be treated and cannot be fatal whatsoever. There are several different types of flesh-eating bacteria, and they all have their different side effects. However, sand flies are now the culprit of a new type of flesh-eating bacteria. This bacterium can be extremely deadly if left untreated.
Sand Flies, and Their Relation to This Bacteria
Sand Flies are extremely prevalent within the southern areas of the United States. Mostly, sand flies are ubicated in Texas, where this flesh-eating bacteria is the most prevalent. Sand flies are the primary way in which this flesh-eating bacteria is spread to humans.
“Once thought to be a danger largely reserved for travelers, a flesh-eating parasite known as Leishmania Mexicana is now likely spreading locally through some sand fly’s native to the southern U.S., a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis has concluded,” according to CBS News.
The scientific name, as aforementioned, is Leishmania Mexicana, and it is now becoming more prevalent across the southern U.S. The CDC themselves have warned against this particular disease, and if caught should be treated immediately.
Are There Signs of This Flesh-Eating Bacteria?
Typically, the signs can be pretty easy to spot after getting infected by these bacteria. However, there have been some cases where there are absolutely no signs whatsoever. This can be incredibly dangerous. Therefore, visiting a doctor after going to some place with sand, would not hurt to do whatsoever. It is much better to be safe than sorry. There was a particular victim of this flesh-eating bacteria, who had described the condition in which her and her children were in. After being at the beach and getting bitten by sand flies, her and her family had thought nothing of it. They are comparable to mosquito bites. She assumed that they would be gone within the week, but that is the complete opposite of what happened.
Therefore, the outcome was much more dangerous and severe than they had originally imagined. After doing a lot of research on her own time about the wounds that she had, there were things her and others had in common. “Looking through peer-reviewed papers, she saw pictures of leishmaniasis wounds that looked a lot like her own: crater-like ulcers coated with a thick, yellowish pus,” according to NPR News.
Therefore, there are other people that had similar instances, and she finally found out what she had. Therefore, this bacterium has been around for a long while, and each year there are almost a million Americans that are affected by this bacterium.
What Are The Symptoms?
However, there are certain cases where the symptoms are not visible whatsoever. Therefore, this can be very dangerous and can have fatal side effects. “Some people have a silent infection, without any symptoms or signs. People who develop clinical evidence of infection have one or more sores on their skin,” according to the CDC.
Therefore, after going on a trip to a sandy beach, it is imperative to check for black little bugs on the skin. These bugs are sand flies and may be transmitting a deadly flesh-eating bacterium into the human body. Therefore, those in Texas and southern areas of the United States should be on the watch for these deadly pests.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
CBS News: This flesh-eating parasite spread by sand flies has foothold in U.S., appears to be endemic in Texas, CDC scientists report
CDC: About Leishmaniasis
NPR News: Flesh-Eating Parasites May Be Expanding Their Range As Climate Heats Up
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Caroline Davis2010’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of marina agostini’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License