My mum was hours from death with rotting flesh triggered by common virus – MEATY odour was the first clue

A WOMAN has told how an “unpleasant smell”, similar to that of rotting meat, was a sign her mum was just hours away from death. The ‘meaty odour’ coming from Margaret Jacobs, 67, was a sign of a flesh-eating disease, thought to be caused by bacteria entering her body through a shingles sore. Hayley Jacobs has told how a rotten meat smell coming from her mum was a sign she had a flesh-eating disease Credit: Kennedy News Margaret Jacobs was rushed to hospital and told she needed emergency surgery after contracting the flesh-eating infection Credit: Kennedy News Hayley Jacobs, 37, explained that her mum had been more lethargic than usual at the end of May, but she thought this was just caused by a bug. But when she noticed a rash on Margaret’s thigh, along with a rotten meat odour, she became concerned that something more serious could be wrong. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Then, when Hayley’s mum refused to get out of the bath and appeared to be delirious, she called an ambulance and Margaret was rushed to hospital. It was there that they learned the mum had contracted the flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis and had no chance of surviving without emergency surgery. The bug is a rare and life-threatening infection that is caused by bacteria getting into the deep layers of the skin. The infection can enter your body through cuts, scratches, sores, wounds, burns and insect bites. In Margaret’s case, Hayley said the only wound she noticed on her mum was sores on her scalp that were caused by shingles. Shingles usually presents as a painful rash on one side of your body. Most read in Health Speaking about the ordeal, Hayley, who lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said: “Mum started feeling really lethargic – she wasn’t eating or sleeping. “We thought it was just a bug. On the Thursday evening [May 21], she said she was going to go for a bath. “She was still feeling quite unwell. She went for a bath and was in there for quite a while. “She’d be in there a couple of hours and I told her it was time to come out but she said ‘no, go away’. Hayley believes that her mum, pictured here, got the infection through a sore on her scalp, caused by shingles Credit: Kennedy News Hayley noticed a rash on her mum’s thigh, along with the unpleasant smell Credit: Kennedy News “This went on for hours. I drained the bath and covered her up. She thought she had sciatica on her right side – she was in pain.” Hayley, a front of house assistant and actor, continued: “She was in there for 24 hours. I couldn’t get her out. At first, I just thought she was being stubborn. “It came across like she was confused. I thought it could be an UTI because that can make you delirious. “There was quite a pungent, unpleasant smell too. It was like rotting meat or flesh.” After being rushed to hospital, Margaret was told she needed surgery to remove the dead flesh from her body. She underwent five operations to remove the dead flesh from her right thigh, groin and upper back, and had to be placed on a ventilator and life support to help aid her healing. The mum spent two weeks in intensive care followed by another six weeks in hospital. According to Hayley, doctors couldn’t confirm how her mum developed the deadly flesh-eating bug, but she believes it could have been through sores on her scalp and stomach, caused by shingles. She said: “I know you can get this through open wounds and the only open wounds she had was shingle sores on her tummy and scalp. “She’s had shingle sores on and off for years, which were flared up by stress. Margaret’s thigh had to be operated on to remove the dead flesh, caused by the infection Credit: Kennedy News What is necrotising fasciitis? Necrotising fasciitis, also known as the “flesh-eating disease”, is a rare and life-threatening infection of the deeper layers of your skin. It needs to be treated in hospital straight away. The infection can get into your body through: uts, scratches, sores or other wounds that break the skin burns and scalds insect bites surgery injecting drugs urinary tract infections (UTIs) You may be more at risk from developing necrotising fasciitis if you have diabetes or a weakened immune system Symptoms of necrotising fasciitis can develop quickly within hours or over a few days. At first, you may have: intense pain or loss of feeling – the pain may seem much worse than you would usually expect from a cut or wound, if there is one redness and swelling of the skin around the affected area (redness may be harder to see on black or brown skin) flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headache and tiredness Later symptoms can include: being sick (vomiting) and diarrhoea confusion blisters or black, purple or grey blotches on the skin (blotches may be less obvious on black or brown skin) Source: NHS “They haven’t confirmed it is that, but that’s the only thing I can think of. “I think the rotting meat smell was a warning sign that her flesh was dead.” Describing Margaret’s challenging time in hospital, the daughter said: “They [doctors] told me she will 100% die without an operation and she needed one right now. “She was hours from death. If we’d left it any longer, she might not have made it. “They said even if people survive the operation, there’s still a high mortality rate and amputation is likely. “It was awful. I was screaming hysterically. One of the nurses had to take me outside. “My biggest fear was losing my mum. I don’t have any other family.” Thankfully, after two long months in hospital, as well as a skin graft, Margaret was discharged and allowed to go home. Hayley said she wouldn’t wish this awful experience on anyone, describing it as “hell” for the person and their loved ones. “Be hypervigilant of everything, even a papercut. “I’m grateful to still have my mum.” Comment now