A local man is being treated at an Indianapolis hospital after being infected with flesh-eating bacteria from an unknown source.
Kurt Carlsen, 61, Scipio, who has been the chief mechanic for the Columbus Police Department for 40 years and also works at Rural King, has been recovering at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis since late June, after being diagnosed with the bacteria after seeking treatment at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour.
He was listed in stable condition at Methodist on Friday, hospital officials said.
Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease, is a rare bacterial infection that spreads quickly in the body and can cause death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accurate diagnosis, rapid antibiotic treatment and prompt surgery are used to stop the infection. Fever, dizziness, or nausea soon after an injury or surgery are symptoms for the disease, classified into four types, depending on the infecting organism. Between 55% and 80% of cases involve more than one type of bacteria.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
