Donnie Adams, a resident of Florida, was shocked to discover he had contracted a flesh-eating bacterial infection after he was bitten by a family member while trying to break up a fight at a family get-together in Tampa Bay, Florida in February 2022. After the bite, Adams said he went to the hospital to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics, but the treatments were not enough to stop the infection from growing.
“My leg was very sore and I couldn’t walk. It was very warm and painful,” Adams said. He was then examined by osteopathic physician Dr. Fritz Brink who determined he had necrotizing fasciitis. Dr. Brink took Adams in for surgery to remove the infected tissue in his leg.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacteria can enter the body through breaks in the skin such as cuts, burns, insect bites, punctures from drug use, or even surgical wounds. Dr. Brink also noted that “human bites are dirtier than dog bites as far as the kinds of bacteria that grows”. Approximately 70% of the tissue in the front of Adams’ thigh was removed due to the infection.
Adams said that he believes he would have lost his leg had he not gone to the emergency room. He now refers to his scar as the “beauty of the aftermath”, but he never expected to be faced with a flesh-eating bacterial infection.