Flesh-Eating Bacteria Nearly Costs Annapolis Fisherman His Leg: Report

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Annapolis man contracted a flesh-eating bacteria after cutting his shin on a fish trap that had been submerged on his pier, Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported recently.

CBM said the cut happened on July 6 in the Oyster Harbor community just outside Annapolis, but the man didn't think anything of it. CBM reported that the infection appeared the next day, sending him to urgent care for antibiotics that ultimately proved unsuccessful. CBM said that forced a trip to the emergency room, which identified the bacteria as the antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila.

CBM said surgery was necessary, and doctors had to remove nearly all tissue from the victim's groin to the top of his foot. His muscles weren't affected, but CBM said skin grafts will be required.

The man remained anonymous to protect his health privacy.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told WTOP, "Aeromonas skin infections really are a type of infection that preys on the immunocompromised."

"If you have any underlying health conditions, if you are immunocompromised, you have to be very careful when you’re in any kind of body of water and you have an open cut," Adalja told WTOP, noting that infections this severe are rare. "Your immune system may not be able to fight off what, for most people, are not really going to cause much of a problem."

The Maryland Department of the Environment advises against swimming if a person has an open cut. Swimming is also discouraged within 48 hours after heavy rain, the MDE said.

The MDE tracks beach conditions at this link. Additional MDE water quality maps are posted here.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health announces beach closures due to unhealthy water quality on this webpage.

Readers can learn more about the victim's treatment in CBM's story and more about the bacteria in WTOP's article.