Grandad becomes latest victim of flesh-eating bacteria that kills one-in-five as cases continue to rise
A 77-year-old grandad is the latest victim of a gruesome 'flesh-eating' infection which is on the rise in the US.
Last month, Basil Kennedy was preparing to launch his boat in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi when he cut his leg on the trailer. The New Orleans resident swiftly cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide before covering it with a plaster and going about his day.
However, Basil's health would deteriorate just three days later. He was taken to hospital after developing a high temperature, vomiting and elevated levels of lactic acid (which can be an indicator of sepsis).
Basil was then diagnosed with a rare infection from a type of bacteria known as Vibrio vulnificus. The bacteria has claimed the lives of four people in Louisiana and five in Florida this year so far, with the Louisiana Health Department saying it had noted an 'increase' in infections.
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The infection, which is fatal in one out of five cases, enters the blood via an open wound and causes skin lesions, which create the 'flesh-eating' appearance.
According to his daughter Kay Kennedy Regimbal, Basil's infection had started with swelling in his leg.
"His leg started to slowly swell," she explained (via The Mirror).
"Then, it became a little bit red, and it was like, 'OK, something’s not right here'. But then, once it really took hold in the leg, I mean we were just watching it swell, blister, fluid – everything you expect from the flesh-eating bacteria."
Kay added that her father passed away from organ failure on 21 July, saying: "His kidneys never woke up."
She continued: "They had shut down from the septic shock. His liver was declining daily as a result of the septic shock.
"There’s nothing they could do."
How do you contract a Vibrio vulnificus infection?
According to Cleveland Clinic, Vibrio vulnificus is contracted through seawater entering an open wound or eating undercooked shellfish.
The bacteria is typically found in warmer coastal areas, such as the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in the US, and is more common between the months of May and October.
Symptoms develop quickly after infection and include rashes, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and an increased heart rate.
Although rare, the infection is fatal in one in five people and is particularly serious in people with a weakened immune system or conditions involving the liver and kidneys.
Following their father's death, Kay and her sister are now seeking to raise awareness about the disease.
"There doesn't need to be a fear of the water," Kay told The Advocate.
"There needs to be an education and a knowledge of if you have a cut, if you potentially could have been exposed, if there is a risk, how to handle it and what to do."
Brenna Cooper