A mosquito bite usually doesn’t warrant a trip to the doctor.
They can itch and be a bit bothersome, but they go away after a few days. Mia Spilman’s family found out that a simple bite can turn into much worse in only a short time.
The young girl is only 7, and she has already suffered through a horrendous exposure to a flesh-eating bacteria.
Mia was swimming with her family in the ocean when they were on vacation in Australia.
While playing, Mia was bitten by what her family thought was a mosquito.
Antibiotics wouldn’t help to heal the bite. Mia’s parents finally took her to a doctor for treatment.
The young girl would scratch at the bite, and it became red and infected. The doctor diagnosed her with a Buruli ulcer. The virus can often lead to gangrene with some people needing an amputation if the infection won’t stop spreading.
Most people contract this kind of bacteria while they are near water. Mia had to stay on antibiotics for three months.
Since it took so long to figure out what was wrong with her, giving the infection more time to spread, there is a chance that her arm will need to be amputated or that surgery to remove the infection in the area of the arm will be necessary.
