Flesh-Eating Bacteria In Florida: Vacationing Tennessee Man Contracts Disease, Dies 2 Days Later

A Tennessee man’s 4th of July vacation to Florida turned deadly after contracting a flesh-eating virus that claimed his life.

The man, whose full name has been withheld, was with his family on the coast and reportedly fell ill after the family returned home to Tennessee, requiring him to seek medical assistance. The family then discovered he had developed a large sore on his back, along with multiple red bumps along his arms and legs. It was discovered that the man had contracted a flesh-eating virus, which was the cause of the sore and bumps.

He died shortly after returning home on July 7.

The man’s daughter, Cheryl Wiygul, explained that while he didn’t have any open cuts or wounds that could have been infected, he had recently undergone cancer treatment. She suggests that the weakened immune systems from the treatments could have played a part in his death.

This is also the latest in a string of locals and tourists that have been infected with some kind of flesh-eating bacteria.

One of the more notable cases recently was Florida-transplant Carolyn Fleming, a woman who cut her leg while walking along a beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida, which led to her contracting the flesh-eating virus. The infection spread quickly, causing Fleming to suffer two strokes and kidney failure before her body went into septic shock. She died shortly after her family removed her from life support.

While other cases haven’t been fatal, it appears that infections are on the rise, as the bacteria migrate north due to climate change and warmer waters, according to HealthDay. More people along the U.S. East Coast will reportedly be susceptible to the harmful infection.