Teen's hands and legs amputated due to rare bacterial infection. This is what happened

In a shocking incident in the U.S. state of Tennessee, the hands and legs of a teenager were amputated after he got infected with a rare bacteria. Parents took cross-country runner and piano player Mathias Uribe to doctors with "flu-like symptoms". But his condition worsened and he was taken to the emergency where he suffered cardiac arrest. He was given CPR and was airlifted to the pediatric ICU at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Doctors put him on life support treatment.

CDC Warns of rare bacterial infection

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mathias Uribe was diagnosed with pneumonia and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. It is a rare and rapidly developing bacterial infection. After two weeks, the doctors told his parents that his vital organs were saved, but they could not save his extremities. His hands and legs did not receive enough blood flow and these must be amputated to save his life.

How do rare bacteria enter human body?

According to the CDC, experts in many cases do not know how these rare bacteria enter the human body. The CDC has said that in some cases the bacteria enter the body through openings in the skin, such as an injury or surgical wound, or through mucus membranes, including the skin inside the nose and throat. It has also said that out of 10 people with the infection, three will die.

How do bacteria impact organs?

Erin Clark, an associate professor at the University of Utah Health said that the infection that has kept Mathias in the hospital for months is even rarer than that. She said that flu can cause injury to the airway and lungs, but these bacteria somehow find a way to grow before the immune system fights them off.

Dr. Katie Boyle, who led the Mathias' care team, advised to wash hands often and clean and bandage wounds to lessen the risk of the rare infectious disease.

FAQs:

How do rare bacteria enter the human body?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in some cases, the bacteria enter the body through openings in the skin, such as an injury or surgical wound, or through mucus membranes.

How do rare bacteria impact the human body?
According to Erin Clark, an associate professor at the University of Utah Health, these bacteria somehow find a way to grow before the immune system fights them off.