NEW JERSEY — A New Jersey man could lose all his limbs to a flesh-eating bacteria after he went crabbing.
Sixty-year-old Millville resident Angel Perez went into the Maurice River to fish for some crab. A day later, his right leg was swollen, then turned red and broke out in blisters. A few hours later, all of his limbs turned raw and red. He broke out in blisters, with scar marks all over his body.
Perez's family said he had developed Vibrio[c] necrotizing fasciitis[d], a flesh-eating bacteria that can be contracted in salty water, especially during summer time.
According to Perez's family, the infection has already spread from his feet all the way above his kneecap. His forearms have turned black in color, and his limbs are covered in blisters, cuts and sores.
Perez is currently in ICU and doctors are monitoring closely and waiting to see if he responds to antibiotics before they consider amputating at least three limbs, or potentially all of them.
The family also said that another family member had recently gone into the same river an is experiencing the same rash and swelling on her leg. A friend of Perez who also goes fishing there is now suffering from a baseball-sized swelling on his elbow.
New Jersey's NJ Advance Media says that the chance of getting the disease is rare, but the bacteria in the water can enter through a scratch or a scar on the body.
Local and state health officials told the media that they are aware of Perez's situation but are not aware of any potential dangers from the waters.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the flesh-eating bacteria the Perez had been contracted with is not common for the water in the area. Meanwhile, the Cumberland County Health Department said that the bacteria exists regularly in the waters, especially when the temperature is warm.
