Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston is currently treating a man with a bacterial infection caused by Vibrio, a so-called "flesh-eating" bacterium, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
The 50-year-old man was infected after swimming in Galveston, Texas. He arrived at the hospital June 16 via ambulance with a severe infection in his leg, and physicians made the decision to amputate. The patient is still in the hospital, according to the report.
According to the CDC, Vibrio bacteria live naturally in brackish or salt water. People can become infected with they have an exposed wound and go swimming, or by eating undercooked seafood.
Vibrio bacteria cause roughly 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the U.S. annually, according to the CDC. Typically, deaths occur when patients develop bloodstream infections.
According to the Houston Chronicle, this is the second case of Vibrio infection reported in Harris County this year.