Dad's hideous final days as flesh-eating bug devoured his leg
A dad has died from a terrifying flesh-eating bacteria - as cases of the rare disease continue to rise.
Basil Kennedy, 77, was getting ready to launch his boat into the water when he cut his leg on the trailer. He immediately cleaned the wound using hydrogen peroxide and covered it with a plaster.
But just three days later, he developed a rare infection and was taken to hospital with a high temperature, vomiting, and elevated levels of lactic acid - a warning sign of sepsis. It comes after the deadly Oropouche virus has been found in the UK for the first time after sweeping Europe.
'His leg started to slowly swell,' daughter Kay Kennedy said. 'Then, it became a little bit red, and it was like, 'OK, something's not right here.' But then, once it really took hold in the leg, I mean we were just watching it swell, blister, fluid – everything you expect from the flesh-eating bacteria.'
The grandfather from New Orleans, US, underwent two surgeries to remove the infected skin tissue. Doctors said he had contracted Vibrio vulnificus, which is a deadly bacterium found in warm coastal waters. Kennedy died of organ failure on July 21.
'His kidneys never woke up,' his daughter added. 'They had shut down from the septic shock. His liver was declining daily as a result of the septic shock, and ... there's nothing they could do.'
Scientists believe the number of cases is rising as due to climate change making the waters warmer, which means Vibrio is spreading further north and remaining on coasts longer.
Anyone can become infected but individuals with chronic health conditions such as liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or those who are immunocompromised, face a much higher risk of severe illness or death.
The rare infection has already killed 32 people across the Gulf Coast this year. Furthermore, 17 people in Louisiana have been infected with the bacteria, resulting in four deaths.
According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 people with Vibrio vulnificus die, sometimes within 48 hours of becoming ill. The bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, including oysters.
His heartbroken daughters are trying to raise awareness of the rare disease - but still want people to enjoy the waters as her keen sailor dad did.
'There doesn't need to be a fear of the water,' Kennedy said. 'There really needs to be an education and an understanding of how to be prepared for a situation where you may be exposed or there is a potential risk.'
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