Housecall for Health: What Exactly is a Flesh-Eating Bacteria?

The nation has been captivated by the stories of Aimee Copeland and Lana Kuykendall, two American women battling for their lives after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria. ?But with this infection now in the spotlight, many are asking just what exactly it is.

FOX’s Colleen Cappon has the answer in today’s “Housecall for Health”:

In the medical community, the condition is known as necrotizing fasciitis, a rare but very aggressive disease with a mortality rate of 73%. ?Many different bacterium can cause the condition, and once it enters the skin, it releases toxins that destroy tissue and shut down blood supply to the infected area. ?And in many cases, antibiotics are ineffective.

Housecall for Health, I’m Colleen Cappon, FOX News Radio.