162 - Flesh-eating Bacteria

【人食いバクテリア、hito-kui bakuteria】

"Some bananas from Costa Rica contain flesh-eating bacteria that cause a condition called necrotizing fasciitis, which can lead to necrosis of the limbs and even death if eaten.

If a person eats a banana from Costa Rica and develops symptoms of fever and skin irritation, they should go to a hospital immediately, but in the unlikely event that there is no hospital nearby, they should burn the inflamed skin to delay infection.

This fact is being covered up for fear of creating a panic, but please circulate this e-mail to as many people as possible so that the damage can be mitigated."

An e-mail to the above effect was once circulated.

But of course, this is an untrue and malicious prank. However, there are, in fact, so-called flesh-eating bacteria.

When infected in humans, these bacteria can cause necrosis of the limbs and cause death within hours or days.

They are commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria.

Currently, there are two types of bacteria known as flesh-eating bacteria: "Vibrio vulnificus" and "Group A Streptococcus".

Vibrio vulnificus is a relative of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes food poisoning, that is found especially in warm seas. It is transmitted to humans through wounds or by eating raw seafood infected with the bacteria.

Nonetheless, overall healthy people aren't typically infected.

Vibrio vulnificus primarily infects people with liver disease. Once a person with liver disease is infected with V. vulnificus, the bacteria multiply, and within 24 hours the limbs become necrotic, often to the point of death.

"Group A Streptococcus" is a bacterium that mainly uses humans as hosts, and is said to be transmitted primarily through droplets from the mouth to the throat and skin. This coccus causes a variety of diseases, the most common of which are pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and rheumatic fever in children.

This alone is not a cause for concern, but if Group A Streptococcus mutates for any reason into a fulminant form, it can cause terrible symptoms.

The initial symptoms are very similar to those of the common cold, but the disease also causes necrosis of limbs and death in a short amount of time. Pregnant women, patients with kidney disease, and diabetics are especially vulnerable.

Because of the short time between the onset of disease and death, early detection of the cause and early treatment of the disease are necessary. As a reminder, these pathogens are not transmitted by bananas or other plant vectors.