DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — A South Texas man helping flooded neighbors after Hurricane Harvey says he was infected with flesh-eating bacteria.
In a Facebook post J.R. Atkins of Missouri City, Texas, says he was kayaking through flooded streets last week. When he returned home he noticed what he first thought was just a bug bite. As it continued to swell and began causing some numbness in his hand he went to Houston Methodist in Sugar Land. The hospital diagnosis was necrotizing fasciitis, better known as flesh eating bacteria, which can quickly turn deadly.
Atkins told Houston TV station KPRC, “If it wouldn’t have been for the nurses here at Methodist, I probably would have not been able to make it through it. I mean, there’s no way I could have made it through it.”
After having surgery and getting large doses of antibiotics Atkins is hopeful that he’ll be going home soon.
Atkins is a former firefighter who has also worked as a medic. He says his understanding of the symptoms helped him get medical help quickly. He told KPRC he’s worried that other people spending time in floodwater won’t know what to look for. He said people dealing with the cleanup should wear gloves, masks, boots and goggles.