Flesh-eating Bacteria Kills Man Helping Repair Harvey-damaged Homes

A 31-year-old man who was repairing homes in Galveston damaged by Hurricane Harvey died earlier this month of an infection caused by a flesh-eating bacteria, health officials announced. The man, identified to KHOU-TV by relatives as Josue Zurita, went to the hospital Oct. 10 with a "seriously infected" wound on his upper left arm. He was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare bacterial infection that kills soft tissue, the Galveston County Health District said Monday. Zurita died Oct. 16."It's most likely this person's infection occurred when bacteria from Harvey debris or floodwater entered his body through a wound or cut," Dr. Philip Keiser of the health authority said in a written statement. "This is a very rare infection but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking for this person's family and friends."Zurita's family said he left his wife and daughter back in Mexico 12 years ago and found work as a carpenter in Galveston, KHOU reported. "He's a very caring person," Brenda Avalos, wife of one of Zurita's cousin told the station. "He has a lot of friends here in Galveston that love him. Everybody is very sad. He was very young and always smiling."  Continue reading...