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Tag: flesh eating disease

  • Jamie Sangouthai: Lamar Odom’s Lifelong Friend Died of Flesh-Eating Disease Caused by Drug Abuse

    Jamie Sangouthai, best friend of Lamar Odom, didn’t die of a heroin overdose as previously reported. Instead he died of a flesh-eating disease that isn’t uncommon to drug addicts.

    His death has now been ruled an accident.

    “He had [a] flesh-eating disease from his intravenous drug use,” L.A. Coroner’s office assistant chief Ed Winter said in an interview with People magazine.

    “Cause A is Necrotizing fasciitis. Cause B is chronic intravenous narcotism,” he continued. “How it occurred was self-injection and ruled an accident.”

    Jamie Sangouthai was just 37 at the time of his death. He appeared regularly on the Keeping Up With the Kardashians spinoff Khloe & Lamar.

    Khloe Kardashian shared her grief over Jamie Sangouthai’s passing via Twitter shortly after she heard the tragic news.

    Lamar Odom was reportedly partying in Vegas when he learned his friend since childhood was dead.

    Khloe Kardashian shared a second tweet that actually seemed like it might be directed at Lamar. Sources say she hopes Jamie Sangouthai’s death serves as a wakeup call for the man who is still legally her husband.

    Lamar Odom has been to see Jamie Sangouthai’s mother in the wake of this tragedy.

    Meanwhile friends of Jamie Sangouthai have a GoFundMe account in place, in their efforts to raise money to bring his body home to New York and pay for a proper funeral and burial.

    Do you think Jamie Sangouthai’s tragic death could propel Lamar Odom back into the throes of drug abuse?

    Khloe Kardashian apparently believes this is a big concern.

  • Lamar Odom Shaken by Jamie Sangouthai’s Death, Khloe Kardashian Hopes It Serves as Wakeup Call

    Lamar Odom has fought drug addiction off and on for years. His drug problems were the catalyst for his split from Khloe Kardashian. Now Lamar is dealing with the absolute darkest side of addiction. His best friend, Jamie Sangouthai, died in recent days of what was initially believed to be a heroin overdose. New reports say Sangouthai died of a flesh-eating disease caused by excessive drug use instead. Either way, Khloe Kardashian is hoping Jamie’s passing might serve as a wakeup call for Lamar.

    Khloe was among the first to share her words of grief over the passing of the former Khloe & Lamar star.

    Lamar Odom has yet to publicly express his shock and grief, but it is expected Jamie’s death is hitting him hard. Friends of Jamie Sangouthai have started a GoFundMe campaign to return his body to New York so his mother can have a proper funeral and burial for him.

    Khloe Kardashian expressed her shock over Jamie Sangouthai’s untimely death on Sunday.

    She is no doubt quite concerned over Lamar Odom’s reaction to this tragic news.

    The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star’s next Tweet appears like it might be directed at Lamar Odom. Is it possible he can learn and grow from his best friend’s tragedy? If so, then something positive might emerge from the death of his friend.

    Lamar Odom was reportedly partying in Vegas when he received word that Jamie Sangouthai had died.

    “When he found out Jamie died, he was devastated,” a source tells Us Weekly.

    “He feels like it could have happened to him. This is a huge wakeup call for him. It has really shaken him,” the source adds.

    Khloe Kardashian is praying the wakeup call hits Lamar Odom loud and clear.

  • Zombie Apocalypse: Miami Cannibal And Flesh-Eating Disease

    The past month has been rife with horrifying stories focused in the American South; first, the tale of college student Aimee Copeland, who lost her leg, foot, and both hands after cutting her leg in a zip-line accident and being exposed to bacteria-laden river water in Georgia. Soon after, three more stories surfaced of the so-called “flesh-eating disease”, which is a form of the common bacteria that causes strep: new mom Lana Kuykendall from South Carolina, who was rushed back to the hospital after giving birth to twins and complaining of severe pain in her leg. Soon after, Georgia resident Robert Vaughn–who coincidentally stayed just a couple of beds away from Aimee Copeland in the hospital–was told he had contracted the bacteria as well and had 2 1/2 pounds of dead flesh removed from his leg. Vaughn says he was nowhere near the water, but believes he might have picked it up from the brush while doing a landscaping job. Now, a fourth victim has come forward: Paul Bales, a Georgia grandfather who slipped and fell off a boat ramp in early May and cut his leg. Although he was exposed to a different water source than Copeland, the connection is worrisome for Georgia residents. Bales’ son says the antibiotics have stopped working to fight the disease and that he is scheduled to have one leg amputated below the knee.

    Over Memorial Day weekend, a Miami man, Rudy Eugene, attacked and cannibalized a homeless man on a causeway, devouring most of his face in what police speculate was a drug-fueled rage. He ignored their cries for him to get off the victim and stood up growling, nude, and covered in blood with flesh dangling from his mouth before being shot at several times. Police say it took more than one shot to take him down; they believe he was under the influence of a new drug called “bath salts”, which causes the body temperature to skyrocket and leads to severe delirium, similar to the effects of LSD but much more powerful. The drug has been known to give users almost super-human strength and rage, making them dangerous to the public, themselves, and police.

    Taken separately, these stories would be enough to make anyone want to lock themselves inside the safety of their own homes forever. But together, they are causing rumors about a zombie apocalypse, the end of the world, and conspiracy-theories involving the government. Given the fact that zombies have seen a rush of popularity in recent years, particularly after the sudden and enormous success of the AMC show “The Walking Dead” (based on the comic books of the same name), it’s not hard to see why people are scared.

    When the Center For Disease Control released a blog post titled “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocolypse” earlier this month, it was mostly viewed as a joke; but in light of recent events, it seems strange that the CDC–which is located in Atlanta, Georgia–would view preparedness for disaster as a laughing matter. People are scared and are looking for answers and comfort, and when they don’t get it, rumors begin flying.

    While it seems clear that no answers are immediately forthcoming, the one thing we can be sure of is that, so far at least, it seems some of these things can be prevented. If you live near a warm water source–especially in the South–whether it be a lake, river, or pond, take care not to expose even the shallowest cut to it. Clean all wounds immediately, even if they aren’t bad enough to require a doctor’s attention. At the first sign of severe pain in a limb, go to the hospital at once.

    Until an autopsy is performed on Rudy Eugene, we won’t know exactly what caused his horrific attack; not much has been released to the public about his victim, although he is alive and in critical condition.

  • Flesh Eating Disease: New Victim Emerges

    Flesh Eating Disease: New Victim Emerges

    In disconcerting news, a third victim has now come forward claiming to be suffering from the flesh-eating disease that has already claimed limbs and appendages from Georgia college student Aimee Copeland.

    32-year old Robert Vaughn says he was working on a landscape project for work when he suddenly felt terrible, focused pain in his groin area before getting violently ill.

    “Just godawful pain in my groin area. It’s hard to walk, hard to sit down, it just hurt, hurt all in my back,” he said.

    Vaughn was rushed to the hospital–to the very area where Aimee Copeland was suffering from the bacteria in intensive care, in fact–and was told he had a form of the disease. Doctors removed 2 1/2 pounds of dead flesh from his leg, but say that it is very, very rare for someone to have contracted the bacteria without having an open wound somewhere on their body. Vaughn says he believes he picked it up in the brush he was landscaping.

    The bacteria, which is similar to the one that causes strep throat, usually only causes stomach upset and is most often found in warm water, such as a lake or river. Aimee Copeland contracted it when she cut her leg in a zip-line accident on the Tallapoosa River on May 1st. The second case was reported just two weeks later, in a South Carolina woman who had just given birth to twins.

    Doctors are still stumped as to why there’s been a sudden influx of such a rare form of the bacterial infection, and say simple safeguards against it are washing hands frequently, taking care when in warm freshwater areas, and cleaning wounds immediately, even if they don’t appear to be that bad.

  • Flesh-Eating Disease Strikes Again: New Mom Fights For Her Life

    Although it has been called “extremely rare”, the bacterial infection that caused Georgia college student Aimee Copeland to lose her leg last week has now been found in a South Carolina woman who recently gave birth to twins.

    36-year old Lana Kuykendall had to be rushed back to the hospital after being discharged because she had severe pain in her leg. Doctors found an unusual spot on the back of her leg, and it was spreading rapidly. Known as necrotizing fasciitis–the bacteria which also causes strep throat–the disease was showing signs of spreading elsewhere on her body and has required four surgeries to contain. She is in critical condition today in South Carolina.

    Her husband, Darren, says he talks to her every day in an effort to keep her fighting the bacteria and is devastated that his wife has barely seen their newborns.

    “I tell her how good she’s doing, and how strong she is, and that she’s a fighter. She can make it,” he said. Kuykendall has been stabilized but has a long way to go towards recovery.

    Aimee Copeland, who had to have her leg amputated last week as a result of the bacteria, is still in critical condition but is beginning to show signs of improvement after a stint in a hyperbaric chamber, which is helping restore her circulation. She was zip-lining over Little Tallapoosa River in Georgia last week when the line snapped, cutting her leg open. After receiving staples to close the gash, she returned to the hospital complaining of severe pain and was given antibiotics, to no avail. Several surgeries have now been performed to keep the bacteria–which lives in warm water and is usually the cause of diarrhea or vomiting–from spreading to other parts of her body.

  • Flesh-Eating Disease Victim Likely To Lose More Limbs

    The college student who lost her leg after a zip-line accident last week will likely have to face more amputations, doctors say.

    24-year old Aimee Copeland was riding a homemade zip-line near Little Tallapoosa River on May 1st when the line snapped and cut her leg open. While it was a deep enough gash to require stitches, Copeland had no cause for concern after she went to the hospital to get stitched up. What she didn’t know, however, is that a form of bacteria had been introduced into her bloodstream that spread directly to her muscle tissue and began to deteriorate it.

    The scariest part is that the bacteria is a common one–Aeromonas hydrophila–which usually just causes stomach troubles like diarrhea and can be found in fresh water areas, which is likely where Copeland picked it up. She happens to be highly susceptible to infection from it, and once it was introduced to an open wound, it spread like wildfire through her system. Doctors say it’s likely now that she’ll lose her other foot and both hands, although since a scare where her heart stopped on Friday, she’s actually started recovering and shows signs that she understands when she is spoken to. She remains in critical condition.

    Although an infection such as Copeland’s is very rare, it is considered deadly since the mortality rate among victims is around 60%.

    Aimee’s father, Andy Copeland, acknowledge that his daughter has a hard road ahead of her, but that he is grateful she is alive after initially being given a slim chance to survive.

    “I couldn’t conceive of what it would be like for my daughter to lose her hands and the only other foot she has, as well, and that appears to be what is going to happen,” he said. “The most important thing is my daughter is still alive.”

  • Flesh-Eating Disease Claims Girl’s Leg After Zip Line Accident

    It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but flesh-eating disease is a very real–and dangerous–thing. The scariest thing about it is that it can happen with the simplest injury involving broken skin, a fact most people aren’t aware of. It happened to 24-year old Aimee Copeland, who had an accident on a homemade zip line last week while on a boating trip with friends in Carollton, Georgia.

    After the line snapped and cut her leg, Aimee sought help at a local hospital, where they stitched up the gash on her calf and sent her on her way. But unbeknownst to doctors–and Aimee–a rare type of strep infection had been closed in under her skin, where it burrowed down into the wound and began to deteriorate muscle tissue. When she returned to the hospital the next day complaining of severe pain, doctors gave her a prescription for pain killers, and, later, antibiotics. By Friday, it was clear something else was going on; she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, which had advanced to a point that necessitated her leg to be amputated up to the hip.

    Although it’s not always clear where the infection starts, doctors believe it comes from bacteria housed in the victim’s own body, such as in saliva. It can also survive on the skin, so frequent hand-washing is a must when the skin is broken, even if the cut is small.

    Aimee has had some scares since the amputation; doctors lost her pulse this past Tuesday after her fever spiked from the infection. Her father, Andy, said that it was a miracle she survived the amputation at all and that the family could only stay positive in light of the accident. Her friends have taken to Twitter to urge prayers and support.

    @KayWasabi
    Karen.    Aimee is on the front page of yahoo. #UWG please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. http://t.co/YR2VX7tk 7 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @AmberOvermeyer
    Amber Overmeyer    Pray for Aimee Copeland. She’s suffering from a flesh eating disease and her chances of surviving are slim. #AimeeCopeland #PrayerRequest 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto