Flesh-eating disease kills man

By RENEE KIRIONA

A rare flesh-eating disease has been blamed for the death of an Auckland man.

Peter Pitman, 71, died of necrotising myositis within 48 hours of being diagnosed with the bacterial infection following his admission to Auckland Hospital on August 21.

A small cut the Henderson man received while gardening earlier that week might have triggered the infection, a hospital spokesman said.

Necrotising myositis is a rare illness that invades and destroys soft tissue - including skin and muscle - said Rod Ellis-Pegler, the hospital's infectious diseases physician.

"It is a nasty and aggressive disease but the community does not need to be alarmed because you do not see epidemics of this," he said.

The disease was not common and if four cases occurred in Auckland in the space of a year that would be worrying, Mr Ellis-Pegler said.

Mr Pitman's daughter Janice Wood, told the Herald she took her father to a GP on Thursday morning where he was given "quite powerful drugs" to treat the infection.

Later that day her father's condition had worsened so she called an ambulance.

"One minute he was gardening, then the next he was dying in the hospital bed," she said.

The infection started in Mr Pitman's ankle then moved up to his groin then through the rest of his body, Mrs Wood said.

"It all happened so fast ... we were all very shocked because dad had always been a very healthy, active and fit man for his age."

Mr Pitman went into theatre on Friday morning where surgeons attempted to remove the infected tissue.

On Saturday he was put on life support, which the family turned off that afternoon. He died a few hours later.

Two newborn babies were almost killed by a related flesh-eating disease (necrotising fasciitis) at Starship Hospital earlier this year. It was the same disease that killed James Leota-Tui after he received a Samoan body tattoo in a backstreet parlour in Auckland last year.

Mr Pitman was the vice-president of the Auckland RSA Centre, former president of the Pt Chevalier RSA and Bowling Club and a foundation member of the Te Atatu Rugby League Club.

Necrotising myositis

* Necrotising fasciitis - "flesh-eating disease" - is a rare illness that causes extensive tissue destruction and can lead to death.

* When the disease spreads along the layers of tissue that surround muscle (the fascia), it is called necrotising fasciitis. When it spreads into the muscle tissue, it is called necrotising myositis.

* Symptoms include fever, severe pain, and a red, painful swelling which spreads rapidly. Death can occur in 12 to 24 hours.

* Necrotising fasciitis can be caused by several different bacteria, one being the group A streptococcus. While group A streptococcus is passed from person to person, necrotising fasciitis is not.