Man loses leg to flesh-eating bacteria contracted at Texas beach

GALVESTON, TX -- A man from Jacinto City, Texas, is in the hospital, fighting an infection from a flesh-eating bacteria.

Brian Parrott, 50, spent time with his children and granddaughter at Galveston's West Beach last week. He sat at the water's edge with his granddaughter and swam in the water with his son.

His mother, Donna Dailey, has spent the last few days at the hospital with her son. Doctors amputated his leg below the knee.

"When we got there, they already had him hooked up to everything and was trying to save his life," Dailey said. "They said it was extremely serious, and they didn't know what they were going to be able to do."

She said doctors are trying to prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of his leg.

This type of flesh-eating bacteria is called Vibrio. People contract it when an open wound comes in contact with contaminated water. Vibrio is also transmitted when people eat contaminated seafood.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, there have been 24 cases of Vibrio thus far in 2016, 102 cases in 2015 and 77 in 2014.

Dailey said she is sharing her son's story to raise awareness.

"If he had thought something was that dangerous," Dailey said, "he surely wouldn't have put his granddaughter in the water."

Dailey set up a GoFundMe account to help her son and his family with medical expenses.

The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends the following precautions to avoid Vibrio infection:

- Avoid seawater if you have a pre-existing wound.

- If you sustain a wound or injury while exposed to salty seawater or while handling seafood, thoroughly clean and disinfect the area immediately and seek medical attention if the area becomes inflamed.

- Do not eat raw oysters or shellfish.