A 6-Year-Old Develops Flesh Eating Infection

A 6-year-old girl in Ohio has developed a flesh eating infection after she had an infection with a strep bacteria. This infection led to the amputation of one of her legs. Specialists are surprised that this type of virus can cause such dramatic complications. The little girl named Tessa Puma was diagnosed with strep throat in March. At the beginning of the month, she did not have any symptoms related to this illness.

The flesh eating condition caused a terrible infection which led to the amputation of one of her legs

Nevertheless, the doctors treated Tessa because she was confirmed to be infected with group A Streptococcus. This bacteria is responsible for causing strep. She might have contracted the virus from her father who had been previously diagnosed with this infection. Around March 25, she started having some symptoms which were similar to those of the common flu, but she also felt pain in her arms and legs.

Based on the information provided by the Akron Beacon Journal, the little girl told her parents that her skin was extremely painful that she could barely touch it. After being admitted to the hospital, she was tested for the flu. The results came out positive. Nevertheless, after some detailed tests, doctors established that Tessa had necrotizing fasciitis. This is a flesh eating bacteria, a severe infection which consumes the muscle tissue and the skin of the host.

Now, Tessa needs a lot of time to recover and the support of her family

According to the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a wide range of bacteria which can cause this flesh eating infection, but, however, group A Streptococcus is known to be the most frequent cause. The bacteria is bound to infect connective tissue which surrounds blood vessels, fat, nerves, and muscles. Nevertheless, specialists argue that people may carry this bacteria on their skin, in their throat and noses without manifesting any symptoms.

However, when this dangerous virus reaches deep tissue due to an open wound, it can trigger the development of necrotizing fasciitis.  Based on the data from the CDC, since 2010, approximately 700 to 1,100 cases of necrotizing fasciitis were reported as being caused by group A Streptococcus in the US every year. In the case of this 6-year-old girl, the damaged tissue was so spread out that doctors felt forced to amputate her leg from the knee down. Tessa will need more surgeries, and she will undergo an extensive period of physical rehabilitation.

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