Forty-one-year-old Jeff Bova waded into a California pond after his dog with nothing more than a small cut on his right arm.
Out in the mountains of Julian in San Diego County, Bova waded into the standing water after a big rain. He tried to treat it with anti-bacterial cream until finally, it blistered, and fluid came pouring out of it, causing unreasonable pain. That's when he finally went to the hospital. Two days later, he was dead.
It's a disease called necrotizing fasciitis, which has an extremely high death rate. One in three people who get necrotizing fasciitis will die. It spreads quickly, destroying the soft tissue in the body.
The symptoms can be "warm skin with red or purplish areas and painful swelling", the report explained. It sounds like nothing more than a bruise, but it can take a turn as it spreads quickly. It can lead to fever, fatigue, and vomiting. The site of the injury can be eaten away by the bacteria.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites 700 to 1,100 cases recorded in the U.S. annually and if treated quickly it can mean the difference between life and death.
“Accurate diagnosis, rapid antibiotic treatment, and prompt surgery are important to stopping this infection,” the CDC says.
Bova's mother, Susan Mc Intyre, explained that her son wasn't one who went to the doctor much. He tried to tough-out the infection.
“He developed these really nasty blisters, and he said that it felt … when his arm was oozing that it was acid coming down his arm,” she said.
It doesn't have to be a cut that transmits the infection through the body. Even a bruise could result in the flesh being devoured around it, Health Link BC explained.
