Now, what group of people would be most susceptible to a flesh-eating genital disease?
‘ Now, what group of people would be most susceptible to a flesh-eating genital disease?’
People with genitalia would probably be #1 on the list, for now anyway.
Diabetics, Alcoholics and the obese.
It’s been around d forever and is known as Fourniers Gangrene.
Glad you asked:
Fournier’s gangrene
Specialty Infectious disease
Frequency 1 per 62,500 males a year
Fournier gangrene is a type of necrotizing fasciitis or gangrene affecting the external genitalia or perineum. It commonly occurs in older men, but it can also occur both in women and children and in people with diabetes or alcoholism or those who are immunocompromised.
Initial symptoms of Fournier gangrene include swelling or sudden pain in the scrotum, fever, pallor, and generalized weakness. It is characterized by pain that extends beyond the border of the demarcated erythema.[2] Most cases present mildly, but can progress in hours. Subcutaneous air is often one of the specific clinical signs, but is not seen in >50% of presenting clinical cases. More marked cases are characterized by a foul odor and necrotic infected tissue. Crepitus has been reported.[2] It begins as a subcutaneous infection. However, necrotic patches soon appear in the overlying skin, which later develop into necrosis.[2]
Cause
Most cases of Fournier gangrene are infected with both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens. It can also result from infections caused by group A streptococcus (GAS), as well as other pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio vulnificus.[3] Lack of access to sanitation, medical care, and psychosocial resources has been linked to increased mortality.[4]
Fournier gangrene is a rare side effect of SGLT2 inhibitors (canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin),[7] which increase the excretion of glucose in the urine.[8]
Diagnosis
Fournier gangrene is usually diagnosed clinically, but laboratory tests and imaging studies are used to confirm diagnosis, determine severity, and predict outcomes.[2] X-rays and ultrasounds may show the presence of gas below the surface of the skin.[2] A CT scan can be useful in determining the site of origin and extent of spread.[2]
This is a known disease typically of diabetics. It is ugly for sure but it sounds like the article is describing exactly Fourniers and the rest is confirmation bias which in this case is unfortunate