Summer is here. Texans are hitting the beach and the lake. But doctors say watch out. A rare but deadly bug lives in the water.
It is called necrotizing fasciitis. Most people know it as "flesh-eating bacteria." It is not something to ignore.
This bacteria gets into your body through small openings in the skin. A cut, a scrape, a razor burn, or a fresh tattoo can all be a way in. Once inside, it spreads.
"It's a very rapidly progressing infection, usually with fever and other systemic symptoms of infection," said Dr. Carrie Bakunas. She runs emergency services at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston.
She was blunt about what happens if you get it. "It's so dangerous. It always leads to amputation of the limb if they survive it. It's fatal without surgical intervention," she said. Doctors have to go back in for surgery again and again. Most patients lose a limb. Some do not make it.
A lot of people think this bacteria only lives in the Gulf. That is wrong. It is also in freshwater. That means rivers, ponds, and lakes across Texas.
Healthy people usually fight it off. But some face a bigger risk. That includes people with diabetes, cancer patients on chemo, and others with weak immune systems.
If you swim this summer, here is what to do. Stay out of the water if you have cuts, wounds, or fresh tattoos. Wash with soap and water after every swim. Keep an eye on any cut for a few days after. If it looks red, hurts more, or feels warm, see a doctor fast.
Texas does not test its lakes and beaches for this bacteria. It lives naturally in the water. You can check Gulf Coast beach conditions through the Texas Beach Watch program.
This infection is rare. But when it hits, it moves in hours. Doctors say do not wait if something feels wrong after a swim.
