Daughter: Man exposed to flesh-eating bacteria has legs amputated
<p>A man from Millville who had both of his forearms amputated after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria has now had both of his legs removed, according to his daughter.</p>
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Aug 30, 2018, 11:02 AM
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Updated 2,310 days ago
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A man from Millville who had both of his forearms amputated after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria has now had both of his legs removed, according to his daughter.
Angel Perez, 60, has been battling the disease since he contracted it while crabbing in the Maurice River back in July.
Doctors amputated just below the knees Wednesday after gangrene had spread over the past two months.
Perez typically fished in the spot, but after this trip, he was complaining of pain.
He went to the doctor for antibiotics, but the swelling only got worse as the bacteria spread to his blood stream.
The bacteria is usually only a concern when you eat raw shellfish, but Perez says his immunity was already compromised because of Parkinson's disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it only sees about 200 cases of the disease each year, nationally.
Officials say the best way to avoid the bacteria is to avoid raw shellfish, and to only swim in water that is regularly tested.
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