Houston woman dies of flesh-eating bacteria contracted from Harvey floodwaters

Mackenzie Bean (Twitter) -

A Houston woman died Sept. 15 after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from Hurricane Harvey floodwaters, reports The Houston Chronicle.

Nancy Reed, a 77-year-old resident of Houston's Kingwood community, fell into the floodwaters at her son's home earlier this month, breaking and cutting her arm.

Ms. Reed sought treatment at Shenandoah, Texas-based Memorial Hermann Hospital-The Woodlands after the injury became infected. She was later transferred to Houston-based Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where she died of flood-related necrotizing fasciitis, according to the Harris County medical examiner's office.

Ms. Reed's death represents the second reported case of flesh-eating bacteria from floodwaters. A man in Missouri City, Texas, contracted the infection in early September after kayaking through Hurricane Harvey floodwaters to check on his neighbors. He was treated at Houston Methodist Sugar Land (Texas) Hospital and survived.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a quick-spreading bacterial skin infection that kills the body's soft tissue. Multiple types of bacteria can cause the infection, including Streptococcus, E. coli and Vibrio vulnificus. To learn more about necrotizing fasciitis, click here.

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