Flesh-eating disease: What exactly is it?

The term “flesh-eating disease” recently made headlines when a Mississauga, Ont., woman died in hospital from the condition on Jan. 18. Debbie Sebesta’s story draws attention to this rare but potentially fatal disease and raises a host of questions: Exactly what is flesh-eating disease? How does a person get it? How common is it? Do I need to worry?

Flesh-eating disease, or necrotizing fasciitis, is a rare bacterial infection that can cause severe tissue death and damage by rapidly spreading through layers of skin and muscle. Health Canada estimates that there are between 90 and 200 cases of flesh-eating disease per year in Canada, and that this disease will kill about 20 to 30 per cent of those who get it. Altho

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