Fisherman’s Death Tied to Flesh-Eating Bacteria
A rare flesh-eating bacteria has been blamed for the Aug. 1 death of a fisherman, officials in Boston said.
Al Holt, 69, died as a result of infection by Photobacterium damsela, which lives in fish. State officials have found only 17 cases of illness caused by the bacterium in U.S. medical books.
Authorities and family members believe Holt had a cut on his hand that allowed the bacteria to infect him when he went fishing July 15. The fast-moving infection destroyed tissue in Holt’s left arm by the next day, then spread to his major organs.
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