CARTERSVILLE, GA ( CBS ATLANTA) -
Bobby Vaughn, 32, works as a landscaper in Cartersville, but is recovering at an Augusta hospital today after flesh-eating bacteria invaded his body earlier this month.
“It went from the size of a little peanut to a grapefruit fast, whatever it was,” said Vaughn. “I lost a lot of tissue that was in there. I’ve had a total of about five surgeries. I’ve had two there, and I’ve had three here in Augusta.”
Emory University medical doctor Walter Ingram sees at least one to two patients a month at Grady Hospital with the flesh-eating disease.
“Two bacteria are known to spread rapidly within hours – strep and clostridia. Those two strains of bacteria are very rapidly spreading, and in a matter of six to eight hours they can spread to an entire leg,” said Ingram.
Vaughn isn’t sure how he contracted the bacteria that surfaced near his groin, but he said he works outside and could have easily cut himself in the woods.
“I just out of the blue wasn’t feeling real well, and I went over and sat in my truck for a minute, and I was feeling real hot, and I started vomiting, you know, so we just stopped for the day,” said Vaughn.
“It’s life-threatening. It can kill you. If you find a wound that’s not healing that has puss and is turning red around the edges and is getting infected, don’t ignore it,” said Ingram.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
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