Health authorities are on alert after two Aussies were struck down by a terrifying flesh-eating infection, with both admitted to hospital in Sydney.
The pair – who are both from the suburb of Mt Druitt but are not said to be related in any way – have been attacked by the bacteria in their lower bodies, with one patient – a man aged 57 – reported to have been extensively affected.
Sky News reports the man has been ‘stripped … from his lower back down to his feet.’
The bacterial infection can enter the body through an injury or an insect bite, and is not spread person-to-person.
Both patients have recently visited an unnamed destination in Polynesia, which is believed to be the source of the infection. Doctors say there is no risk the condition could spread throughout the wider Australian community via these cases, and the public ‘should not be alarmed’.
While up to one in five of patients with the disease don’t make it, the pair are said to be in a stable condition. In worst-case scenarios, the infection is treated by removing large amounts of infected tissue.
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