ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: A man among a group of migrants detained in a desolate part of New Mexico near the border with Mexico has been diagnosed as infected with flesh-eating bacteria, the US Border Patrol said Friday.
The man was taken to a hospital in recent days after telling a federal agent that he had a growing rash on his leg, US Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Antunez said.
Flesh-eating bacteria are a rare condition called necrotizing fasciitis that spreads quickly and can be fatal. The bacteria usually gets into the body through a minor cut or scrape and can cause a serious infection that can destroy muscle, skin and other tissue.
A statement from border patrol officials said the unidentified migrant will require extensive medical treatment. Antunez said he could not provide more details or the man’s condition.
Sometimes surgery is needed to remove the infected area. It’s rare for the infection to spread to other people.
The man was detained near the small city of Lordsburg. His home country was not disclosed.
Another 300 migrants, mostly Central Americans, were detained Thursday south of Lordsburg near an official US-Mexico border crossing, Antunez said. Some had illnesses and injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
The sparsely populated, desert area has experienced a significant influx of large migrant groups recently.
Nearly 10,000 migrants have been detained at New Mexico’s three Border Patrol stations since Oct. 1, officials said.
There were 12,800 detentions at the three stations from October 2017 through September 2018.
Migrant with flesh-eating bacteria detained at US border
Migrant with flesh-eating bacteria detained at US border
- There were 12,800 detentions at the three stations from October 2017 through September 2018
Minibus crash kills 12 in northeastern Afghanistan
- “Due to severe road damage, it veered off course and fell into a valley,” a police spokesperson said
- “The victims of this incident include men, women, and children”
FAIZABAD, Afghanistan: At least 12 people were killed and three seriously injured when a minibus overturned and crashed into a valley in northeastern Afghanistan, local officials said on Saturday.
The bus was traveling along a road in Badakhshan province toward the provincial capital, Faizabad, but “due to severe road damage, it veered off course and fell into a valley,” a provincial police spokesperson said.
“The victims of this incident include men, women, and children... and the injured are in severe condition,” the spokesperson said.
Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation.
A bus carrying migrants returning from Iran crashed in western Herat province in August last year, killing 78 people, including more than a dozen children.
The bus collided with a motorcycle and a truck, according to authorities, making it one of the deadliest crashes in years.
Another 25 people were killed in late August when a bus overturned on a highway near the capital, Kabul, “due to the driver’s negligence,” officials said.
