4th case of flesh-eating bacteria reported in Georgia

May 24, 2012 – GEORGIA – Doctors amputated a Milledgeville man’s leg Wednesday because it’s infected with the flesh-eating bacteria. That’s according to the man’s son, Mike Bales of Dacula. Wednesday evening, Mike Bales told 13WMAZ that his father, Paul Bales was out of surgery and in stable condition. He said his dad lives on Lake Sinclair near Milledgeville and injured his leg when he slipped and fell on his dock May 2. Paul Bales bandaged the cut and went golfing the next day but started feeling pain in his leg. He was admitted to the Oconee Regional Medical Center on May 5, then sent to the Medical Center of Central Georgia a week later. Mike Bales says doctors have told the family that his father suffers from necrotizing fasciitis, the same flesh-eating bacteria that struck north Georgia student Aimee Copeland and at least two other Georgians. “He’s gotten to be stable, but they can’t get the infection from his leg,” he said. The leg had to be amputated because the bacteria damaged blood vessels in his leg, Mike Bales said. After the surgery, he told us that doctors found more infected tissue in his father’s leg and will have to operate again. Despite the bizarre outbreak of the disease, Dr Mike Green, of Macon, said people shouldn’t over-react and become paranoid about becoming infected. It remains very rare, he said. He said they could remove more of the leg. Medical Center spokeswoman Janie Poulnott said Paul Bales is in stable condition but would not comment further. –13WMAZ