A deadly strain of flesh-eating bacteria affects about 650 to 850 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The condition, known as necrotizing fasciitis, is making headlines across the country as cases are on the rise along with temperatures. Several types of bacteria can cause the rare, but potentially fatal infection.
“The bacteria themselves are very common. We encounter them every day,” Amy Kirby, an assistant research professor at Emory University’s Center for Global Safe Water, said in an interview on “A Closer Look.”
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