Florida man battles flesh-eating bacteria after hurricane flooding

By
Published  December 11, 2024 11:07pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

Florida man battles flesh-eating bacteria

A Florida man is hospitalized and fighting for his life after contracting a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection believed to have entered his body through a small cut.

The Brief

    • Mark Lipko, a Florida man, is recovering in the hospital after contracting a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection through a small cut while working near lakes following recent hurricanes. 
    • The bacteria spread rapidly, requiring nine surgeries and a colostomy bag, though doctors believe they have now contained the infection. 
    • Florida has seen a surge in such cases this year, with 82 infections and 16 deaths, largely linked to warm, standing water after Hurricane Milton.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida man is hospitalized and fighting for his life after contracting a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection believed to have entered his body through a small cut.

Mark Lipko, who was working near lakes in Orange and Seminole counties delivering propane after recent hurricanes, developed a blister that escalated into a severe infection. 

His wife, Karen Lipko, recounted how doctors discovered the bacteria had spread rapidly, attacking his soft tissue and requiring multiple surgeries, including the placement of a colostomy bag.

"You can pick this up anywhere, but we’re thinking it was some standing water somewhere or the lake he was at, and maybe he got it during an abrasion," she explained.

Family medicine expert Dr. Case Tedder said that while infections like this are rare, bacteria can thrive in warm, standing water often found in lakes and ponds, particularly after hurricanes. 

MORE STORIES:

"You can contact the bacteria through multiple different avenues; salt, water or food contamination and when the individual gets it, its though a cut or open wound," the doctor said.

Health officials warn that open wounds should be covered with waterproof bandages and washed thoroughly after exposure to potentially contaminated water.

Florida has reported 82 cases of flesh-eating bacteria and 16 deaths so far this year, the highest since records began in 2015. Most cases have been linked to flooding along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Milton. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

Despite undergoing nine surgeries in two months, Mark is on the mend and his recovery is expected to last two to three months.

"She had to keep cutting out the tissue to get all the bacteria, and thank God, we got it all," Karen said.

Florida has seen a surge in such cases this year, with 82 infections and 16 deaths, largely linked to warm, standing water after Hurricane Milton.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by Karen Lipko, Dr. Case Tedder, and the Florida Department of Health.