Sore

• Flesh-eating bacteria sounds like the premise of a bad horror movie, but it’s a growing – and potentially fatal – threat to people.
• In September 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory alerting doctors and public health officials of an increase in flesh-eating bacteria cases that can cause serious wound infections.

What does ‘flesh-eating’ mean?

• There are several types of bacteria that can infect open wounds and cause a rare condition called necrotizing fasciitis.
• These bacteria do not merely damage the surface of the skin – they release toxins that destroy the underlying tissue, including muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
• The bacterial species group A Streptococcus, or group A strep, is the most common culprit behind necrotizing fasciitis.

How do you catch flesh-eating bacteria?

• Most infections in the U.S. occur in the warmer months, between May and October.
• People who swim, fish or wade in these bodies of water can contract the bacteria through an open wound or sore.
• Vibrio vulnificus can also get into seafood harvested from these waters, especially shellfish like oysters.

Why are flesh-eating bacteria infections rising?

• But rising ocean temperatures due to global warming are creating new habitats for this type of bacteria, which can now be found along the East Coast as far north as New York and Connecticut.
• A recent study noted that Vibrio vulnificus wound infections increased eightfold between 1988 and 2018 in the eastern U.S.
• Climate change is also fueling stronger hurricanes and storm surges, which have been associated with spikes in flesh-eating bacteria infection cases.

What are symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis? How is it treated?

• Early symptoms of an infected wound include fever, redness, intense pain or swelling at the site of injury.
• If you have these symptoms, seek medical attention without delay.
• Necrotizing fasciitis can progress quickly, producing ulcers, blisters, skin discoloration and pus.

How do I protect myself?

• People who have a fresh cut, including a new piercing or tattoo, are advised to stay out of water that could be home to Vibrio vulnificus.
• Wounds that occur while fishing, preparing seafood or swimming should be washed immediately and thoroughly with soap and water.
• This includes people taking immunosuppressive medications or those who have pre-existing conditions such as liver disease, cancer, HIV or diabetes.

• There is no such thing as “just a sore throat.” The pain, headache, fever and aches associated with a sore throat can make you feel terrible.
• While sore throats can occur at any time of year, strep throat is more common in the fall, winter and early spring.
• Regardless of the cause, rest and pain relievers form the cornerstone of sore throat treatment.

Bacterial versus viral sore throats

• Most sudden-onset sore throats are caused by viruses – the same ones that cause the common cold, the seasonal flu and COVID-19.
• There are more than 200 viruses that can cause sore throat and other symptoms related to the common cold.
• But bacteria can also be the culprits behind a sore throat.
• That means that people with a sore throat caused by a virus could also be positive for strep, even if it’s not causing the symptoms.

To test or not to test

• Doctors or other clinicians can easily test for strep by using a swab to collect a bit of the fluid from the back of the throat.
• To decide whether to test for group A strep, clinicians use a set of criteria based on five questions that can help determine whether strep testing is needed.
• A cough is indicative of a viral cause and makes strep the less likely cause of the sore throat.
• In the United Kingdom and other European countries, doctors do not routinely test for strep.
• Antibiotic treatment can at times cause allergic reactions, rash, diarrhea, stomach upset, yeast infections and other side effects.

Treatments for strep

• Once group A strep is confirmed, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic treatment.
• Penicillin or amoxicillin are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for strep.
• With sore throats causes by viruses – against which antibiotics are ineffective – few treatments exist aside from using pain relievers to help soothe immediate symptoms.

• Researchers at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC) have found that many cases of ARD involve a common skin bacterium and that a simple, low-cost treatment can prevent severe cases, potentially setting a new standard of care for people undergoing radiation therapy.
• Each year, 10 million people are treated with radiation therapy to reduce the size of their tumors.
• Radiation weakens the skin's structure at the treatment site and can result in infection by allowing SA to break through the skin's outer layer.
• In one of the JAMA Oncology studies, the MECC researchers enrolled 76 patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer.

• Infosys has an industry leading Consumer and Retail focused practice that has been helping retailers, consumer tech, consumer packaged goods and logistics companies navigate their next through digital and emerging technologies over the last three decades.
• Infosys is proud to work with Walmart Commerce Technologies to enable retailers to implement Store Assist, thereby improving digital retail experience for customers and store employees."
• Sunil Kumar, Vice President and General Manager of Walmart Commerce Technologies, said, "Infosys is a trusted partner to businesses that are navigating their digital transformation.
• We are excited to have Infosys help streamline implementation of the Store Assist app and to serve as a trusted system integration team for our customers."