Virginia woman Amanda Edwards infected with flesh eating bacteria at Norfolk beach after ten minute swim. The summer tales of necrotizing fasciitis continues.
In yet the latest ongoing saga of individuals contracting flesh eating bacteria this summer is the tale of a Virginia woman who said she contracted the potentially life threatening disease after ‘only’ going for a ten minute swim at a Norfolk Beach.
It wasn’t soon after that Amanda Edwards noticed a staph infection spreading through her leg and having to have emergency surgery days later.
‘I was just like, ‘Oh, my goodness my leg is gonna fall off,’‘ Edwards told WTKR. ‘That’s the only thing I could keep thinking.’
Edwards had been at Norfolk’s Ocean View Beach last week with friends when she noticed the infection spreading. She told WTKR she ignored it for a couple of days until she couldn’t walk anymore.
Finally, she went to the hospital for emergency surgery.
‘They had to cut me open, drain it out and stuff it with some gauze. I had to keep it covered for days. I had to take three antibodies every six hours,’ the terrified woman said.
So how does one contract flesh eating bacteria aka necrotizing fasciitis?
Edwards said doctors told her the infection may have spread through an open cut in her leg. WTKR reported there was a swimming advisory when Edwards was at the beach due to increased bacteria in the water. was at the beach due to increased bacteria in the water.
‘Please check the news and make sure there is not an advisory out because there was not signs out there,’ Edwards explained.
The Norfolk Health Department issued a warning saying germs can get into the water in different ways, including from washing off of swimmers’ bodies or when people relieve themselves in the water.
Health officials recommend avoiding swallowing water and taking a dip after a heavy rainfall, along with not swimming if you are ill or have a weakened immune system as well as swim away from fishing piers, pipes, drains and water flowing from storm drains onto a beach.
Officials also recommend upon getting out of the water to shower with soap.
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Symptoms of the disease also known as necrotizing fasciitis include a red or swollen area of skin that spreads quickly, severe pain — even beyond the infected area of skin — and a fever, according to the CDC. The center advocates rapid antibiotic treatment, and prompt surgery in stemming the infection.
About 700 to 1,200 cases of the disease have occurred each year in the US since 2010.
