Man Dies In New York After Tattoo Gets Infected With Flesh-Eating Bacteria

New York: A 31-year-old man died after his tattoo became infected with flesh-eating bacteria that live in ocean water, according to a new report. He had gone for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico just five days after getting a tattoo on his leg against the common advice to avoid swimming for a few weeks.

According to a journal published in the BMJ Case Reports, a few days later, the man developed a fever and chills, and his skin over his tattoo and on other parts of his legs turned red.

The red, painful lesions on his legs turned purple soon after the man arrived at the hospital, and he developed large blisters filled with fluid.

Doctors strongly suspected he had an infection with Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that lives in warm coastal waters. In rare cases, the bacteria can enter the body through an open wound, destroy tissues and cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, 'Live Science' reported.

The man previously suffered from alcoholic cirrhosis - a liver disease related to drinking alcohol which is known to increase the risk of Vibrio vulnificus infection, the report said.