Dad facing amputation after deadly flesh-eating bacteria made his leg swell eight times its size
Warning: This article contains discussion and images of medical issues which some readers may find distressing
A Florida dad is facing amputation after he contracted deadly flesh-eating bacteria that made his leg swell eight times its normal size.
Ben West, 38, went on a fishing trip in Port St. Joe late last August with his family.
Aware of the dangers of picking up a vibrio vulnificus infection in the warm salty Florida waters, West wore tall boots but that turned out to be a bad move.
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West told NewsNation the boots ended up rubbing a raw spot around his ankle, which is likely where the bacteria was able to enter his body.
Shortly after returning home West began suffering with serious burning in his foot and ankle as well as swelling.
As the condition developed, West was left ‘in the worst pain he’s ever felt’ and said his leg felt as though it was on fire.
With the pain not getting any better, West went to the hospital but was misdiagnosed with cellulitis and sent home with antibiotics.
His leg soon started to blister and West’s condition ‘started to decline extremely fast’, his wife Janie West wrote on a GoFundMe page.
West was then rushed to hospital where medics told him he had contracted the flesh-eating bacteria vibrio vulnificus and was warned that it could be fatal.
Thankfully, West pulled through but that was only the beginning of the journey.
Although things initially improved, West’s wounds continued to reopen leaving large holes up and down his left leg and it eventually swelled up eight times the size of his right one.
He was also left with pain that felt like ‘electric shocks’ hitting him throughout the day.
West has since undergone six surgeries in an attempt to save the leg.
“They go in with a laser, and they cut the meat, cut the tissue out to try to get ahead of the bacteria because there’s nothing to stop,” he said.
But after more than a year of procedures and surgeries, West has now made the difficult decision to have his leg amputated to improve his quality of life.
“I could probably live with the leg like it is now, but there was very little mobility,” West told NewsNation.
“There’s no shoes or accessories to fit the leg. It was pretty much, you know, you’re debilitated more or less.”
In an update on the GoFundMe, his wife explained: “He’s so ready to be OUT of so much pain.
“He knows it’s not going to completely go away but the heaviness of the leg and the bandage changing pain will be done and gone for sure. He feels his quality of life will absolutely improve once he becomes completely mobile again.”
What is Vibrio vulnificus?
Vibrio vulnificus is a type of bacteria which can cause a deadly infection. You typically get it from eating undercooked or raw shellfish, as well as from open wounds coming into contact with salt water.
Last year, the Louisiana Health Deartment issued a warning about the bacteria following a rise in cases.
"Vibrio are bacteria that naturally live in warm coastal waters and are found in higher numbers between May and October, when water temperatures are warmer," they said.
"Vibrio bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters."
The department noted that about a dozen variants of Vibrio can cause human illness, but vulnificus, in particular, can be life-threatening.
Patients can become seriously ill very quickly and might need urgent limb amputation.
"About one in five people with this infection dies, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill," they said.
Claire Reid