Multiple flesh eating disease cases at EIRMC

There are four cases of a flesh eating disease that was contracted in Idaho Falls. The patients are being treated at Eastern Idaho Medical Center, and the scientific term is necrotizing fasciitis.

Since necrotizing fasciitis is a bacterial infection, it is somewhat contagious. But as long as you take care of your wounds and keep them covered, it won’t spread to other people at all.

“Necrotizing fasciitis is an infectious disease that is characterized by bacteria that get underneath the skin and rapidly destroys the skin and the soft tissues,” said EIRMC physician Dr. Jared Morton.

Many people have certain risk factors that may have them contract the disease easier than others.

“In each of the cases that I’ve been involved with this year, they have all had risk factors for it; such as diabetes, they had very poor wounds, they weren’t taking care of themselves from a hygienic standpoint as good as they should have. And they didn’t seek prompt medical recognition,” said Dr. Morton.

And there are four types of Necrotizing Fasciitis: a strep bacteria, polymicrobial bacteria, bacteria found in infected fresh water and a bacteria related to fungus.

In many cases, the disease can prove fatal for people; for others, loss of limbs.

“It’s here. We recognize it. I see it just as much here as I did back in Georgia, just as much as back in Florida. It’s around. It’s the same bacteria. It just depends on the situation the patients have in whether we’re going to see it or not,” said Dr. Morton.

There is not an abnormal number of people with the illness in east Idaho. The disease is very rare, but with antibiotics and sometimes surgery, patients can resume their lives. Early recognition is the key to maximizing survival and minimizing the damage the flesh eating disease can do.