One 'flesh-eating' strep patient in Wyoming dies

An infectious disease specialist at Campbell County Memorial Hospital says one of the three people treated there for Group A Streptococcal infections has died. Chris Brown said Wednesday that the person who died had close contact with one of the other patients before they got to the hospital, and both had necrotizing fasciitis (fash-ee-EYE'-tiss), sometimes described as "flesh-eating bacteria." Brown says the third case did not have necrotizing fasciitis. Brown says the cases originated in the community, and the hospital knows of no more cases. Brown says the serious cases of the disease typically pop up in isolated, sporadic clusters. He described the risk of serious infection as low but says it can spread through close contact with infected patients, such as with immediate family members or caregivers.