He was dead 48 hours after the bath
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The American William Bennett went on vacation to Florida with his family in July and went swimming in the ocean, as his daughter wrote on Facebook. Twelve hours after the bath, the 66-year-old is said to have woken up with a fever, chills and cramps. He was rushed to the hospital shortly after and died just 48 hours after taking a dip in the sea. The diagnosis: carnivorous bacteria.
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A black swollen spot on the back
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William Bennett’s immune system had been weakened from a long history of cancer, but he had been to the ocean many times and never bathed. According to his daughter, he had no open wounds. At the hospital, staff noticed a black lump on William Bennett’s back. His daughter recognized the symptoms from reports circulating on social media and shared them with the doctors. They considered infection with carnivorous bacteria to be unlikely. During the course of the evening, the 66-year-old’s heart kept failing, and he died a little later. The laboratory results confirm the daughter’s suspicion of the carnivorous bacteria.
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Infection with “carnivorous bacteria”
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Carnivorous bacteria are wound infection pathogens which are particularly dangerous for older bathers and children. If this bacterium gets into a wound, blood poisoning can occur. The infection spreads quickly throughout the body. When the first symptoms appear, it is usually too late for antibiotic medication. People with open wounds and weak immune systems should therefore not bathe in the warm sea. About 1,000 cases are reported annually in the United States.
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Daughter is committed to prevention
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William Bennett’s daughter is now fighting for prevention on Facebook and would like to draw attention to the issue and the danger of bacteria. She calls for warning signs on beaches, which clearly state that bathing is dangerous for people with a weak immune system or wounds. There was no such warning at the beach where William Bennett became infected.
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