In article <2sncu3INN7hq at no-names.nerdc.ufl.edu> kimi at pine.circa.ufl.edu writes:
>Hello, Netters; wanted to run an unnerving news spot by you all: I've heard (second-hand, so I didn't catch the spot myself) of a drug-resistant strep supposedly in England, dissolves muscle and fat, only way to stop it is amputation, several people dead. This was a couple of weeks ago, and nothing since then (I've been keeping an ear out). Anybody hear anything else? If we're going to relive the fourteenth century, I'ld like prior notice!
>Kimi
It is NOT drug resistant - the group A streptococci responsible generally
respond well to penicillin ig agressive therapy is initiated quickly enough.
A small number of deaths occur every year due to these bugs - the disease is
called necrotising fasciitis - but presumably the gentlemen of the press have
only just realised it. To be fair, there did seem to be an unusual clustering
of cases this year.
BTW, I am preparing a summary on necrotising fasciitis due to several requests -
anyone who wants a copy (for what it's worth) should email me.
Michael.
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Michael Diffin
INTERNET: mdiffin at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk, mcd12 at mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
