Aggressive Fungus Strikes Joplin Tornado Victims
Zygomycosis Can Be Caused By Vegetative Material Embedded Under Skin
A Joplin doctor said Thursday his hospital treated five Joplin tornado victims for a rare, aggressive fungal infection sometimes found in survivors of other natural disasters.
Dr. Uwe Schmidt, an infectious disease specialist at Freeman Health System in Joplin, said three of those patients who contracted Zygomycosis have since died, but he stopped short of blaming their deaths specifically on the infections.
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Schmidt said some wounds that were stitched up had to be reopened because they weren’t adequately cleaned.
“These were very extensive wounds,” Schmidt said. “They were treated in the emergency room as quickly as possible.”
A week after the tornado patients began arriving with fungal infections.
“We could visibly see mold in the wounds,” Schmidt said. “It rapidly spread. The tissue dies off and becomes black. It doesn’t have any circulation. It has to be removed.”
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