Thursday, May 10, 2012
News The most terrifying thing is called Aeromonas hydrophila
Posted by Gwynedd Stuart @gwynnstu on Thu, May 10, 2012 at 5:40 PM
The bacteria is called Aeromonas hydrophila. It's apparently rare, but it's really scary. And it's continued to wreak havoc on Copeland's body.
Here's what happened: Last Tuesday, Copeland and friends went kayaking in the Little Tallapoosa River before Copeland fell off the zip line, suffering a significant gash in her leg. That's when doctors believe the bacteria entered Copeland's body. Of course, it wasn't detected at first, so Copeland went to the hospital and her wound — which required two dozen staples — was closed up. The next day the pain persisted, so she went back to the hospital and was given pain killers. On Thursday, she went to the doctor and was given antibiotics. It wasn't until Friday that doctors finally recognized that she had an infection called necrotizing fasciitis caused by the bacteria that had entered her body. Her leg was amputated shortly thereafter.
Copeland's condition: At the moment, Copeland is in extremely critical condition and is at risk of losing more extremities. "Her fingers basically appear mummified," her father told the AJC. Copeland is apparently conscious and communicating through head nods.
How scared should we be of this horrible bacteria? According to the AJC:
So few people die from the bacteria, which can also cause sickness in fish and amphibians, that the true numbers of infection and fatality are unknown, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."It's usually not life-threatening," Varkey said. "It requires a perfect storm of bad circumstances. And when it happens in those rare cases, it can be dramatic."
The University of West Florida is holding a blood drive for Copeland on Tuesday.
Comments (27)
Showing 1-27 of 27
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis indicted, accused of pressuring contractors for campaign donations (Update) 14
The CEO has between 24 and 48 hours to turn himself into authorities
-
Marie Cowser Memorial Park preserves the spirit of its namesake
Dedication ceremony brings together people from all walks of life, just as the late community activist was known for doing in life.
-
New Falcons stadium design gets approved, here's what it might look like 2
Very sci-fi
- More »
More by Gwynedd Stuart
-
Jimmy Carter's wrong on marijuana 16
Effort to legalize marijuana isn't just about people getting high - it's about fixing an unfair system
-
A letter of apology to four Wilcox County High School students 15
On behalf of grown-ups, sorry that grown-ups can be the worst
- More »
Search Fresh Loaf
