A Texas man caught a flesh-eating bacterial infection after kayaking through Hurricane Harvey floodwaters to check on his neighbors, reports TIME.
J.R. Atkins detailed his experience in a Facebook post Wednesday. After kayaking through his flooded neighborhood, Mr. Atkins said he noticed a small bug bite on his left arm. The next day, Mr. Atkins experienced severe swelling in his arm and went to Houston Methodist Sugar Land (Texas) Hospital, where he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and underwent several surgeries.
"If it wouldn't have been for the nurses here at Methodist, I probably would have not been able to make it through it," Mr. Atkins told KRPC.
Mr. Atkins is recovering from the infection and hopes to be discharged from the hospital soon, according to his Facebook post.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a quick-spreading bacterial skin infection that kills the body's soft tissue. To learn more about the infection, click here.
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