>In article: <YAJCC.30.2DE2D493 at ntx.city.unisa.edu.au> YAJCC at ntx.city.unisa.edu.au (James
>Crockart) writes:
>>>> Reported in the paper, TV and radio news the other day was a story about a
>> very nasty sounding virus. It was called necrosis.(s something.)
The *disease* is called necrotising fasciitis; the offending *bacterium* is
usually a type A streptococcus.
>>>> The only effective treatment of this disease so far has been the amputation of
>> the affected limb.
I'm afraid that's completely misleading. Agressive antibiotic treatment,
especially with penicillins or cephalosporins, is successful if initiated
soon enough. Surgical debridement is useful, and I believe hyperbaric
oxygen therapy has been tried with some success.
>> 7 cases have been reported in a few months arround Gloustoshire in England,
>> although I heard mention that there had been infections in Norway and New
>> Zealand.
>>Potential for the disease exists where type A streptococci exist, so I
cannot see many countries being exempt!
BTW, some evidence links NF with NSAIDS (I think this is controversial),
and less surprisingly with AIDS.
--
___________________________________________________________________________
Michael Diffin
JANET: mdiffin at uk.ac.mrc.hgmp PHONE: +44 (0)345 333111 Pager No. 0406653
INTERNET: mdiffin at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk, mcd12 at mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
