Young Boy Gets Flesh-Eating Staph Infection From Texas Lake

It’s been a rough summer for a 3-year-old Texas boy whose red, bleeding sores were misdiagnosed as a skin rash, or pityriasis rosea, in July. According to the Beaumont Enterprise, the little boy’s skin condition arose after he swam in Lake Sam Rayburn in East Texas.

When his condition persisted, the boy was taken to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center where doctors finally concluded that he had a “flesh-eating staph infection” or “necrotizing fasciitis.” The news writes that about 700-1,100 cases of these infections are seen every year in America.

On their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that necrotizing fasciitis can become serious and life-threatening in a relatively short amount of time, so it’s crucial that the condition is discovered quickly. Those who contract this skin infection from a wound will often have symptoms that occur quickly such as sore muscles, ulcers, significant swelling, and a great deal of pain. Symptoms that develop over time are “fever, chills, fatigue, and vomiting.” An IV of antibiotics is needed as soon as possible to treat the infection.

In regards to this recent case, the little boy has been released from the hospital but will need ongoing medical care until the infection clears.