Small child infected by tiny laceration with carnivorous bacteria

Carnivorous bacteria put little boy in mortal danger
In the UK, a four-year-old boy became infected with carnivorous bacteria after suffering a small laceration above his eye. Within a few hours after treatment of the injury, the boy began to vomit and his eyes swelled up sharply. When the mother took the boy to a hospital, she was told that her son was suffering from a dangerous bacterial infection that affects the tissues of the skin so that released toxins begin to eat away the meat.

The little Rhys Pritchard fell unhappily on his head in the garden, leaving a small wound on the eye. The boy's mother immediately took him to a hospital to treat the resulting small head wound over the eye. The incision was stitched with a few stitches, but less than a few hours later the boy began vomiting and his eyes swelled. The mother then went back to the hospital with her son and the doctors diagnosed that the boy was suffering from a carnivorous bacterial infection called necrotizing fasciitis, British media reports.

The dangerous infection with carnivorous bacteria has almost cost the life of a little boy. Only a quick treatment could avoid serious damage or even the death of the child. (Image: AntonioDiaz / fotolia.com)

What is necrotizing fasciitis??
This disease is an extremely rare and very dangerous bacterial infection in which the pathogens in human tissues release toxins, which then decompose the flesh of those affected, explain the experts. Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin and the surrounding muscles and organs (fascia), explains the British National Heatlh Service (NHS).

Temperature of the child suddenly rose sharply
It was a terrible situation for mother and child. "Rhys seemed petrified, I tried to stay as calm as possible and told him that the treatment by the doctors would do anything better," said the mother Keisha. While the boy's body was being checked for an infection, the situation started to get worse. His temperature suddenly rose dramatically and the boy suffered from severe pain. "It was terrible to see him in such a state," adds the mother.

Physicians had to intervene surgically
Within the next two days, swollen fluid filled the boy's eyes. The surgeons were ultimately forced to cut away the infected tissue and the skin of his eyelid and drain the fluid. The boy was transferred to an isolation ward and all people who wanted to visit him had to wear special protective suits. It was really scary, says the mother.

Doctors: Already one day later a treatment would have been too late
Even ten months after treatment, Rhys is still unable to completely close his right eye. Further corrective surgery is needed before hopefully the previous health condition can be restored. The doctors had told the mother that if the dangerous infection had started just one day later, it would have been too late for the boy.

Child had to spend eleven days in a hospital
"It was frightening to hear that Rhys would have become blinded by these pathogens or even die from the infection and I am glad to have driven to the hospital before it was too late," explains the child's mother. Rhys spent a total of eleven days at the University Hospital Wales before returning to his parents. Further interventions are necessary, for example, to treat his right eye. (As)