Flesh-eating bug kills health worker

The care worker was treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

A care worker in Aberdeen has died from the flesh-eating condition necrotising fasciitis.

Carol Davidson, 39, worked at the city's Royal Cornhill Hospital.

Ms Davidson died in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary last Thursday from the conditon, which is also known is also known as haemolytic streptococcus.

A spokeswoman for Grampian University Hospitals Trust said there was no need for concern as the infection was not contagious.

Ms Davidson had worked at the psychiatric hospital in Aberdeen for over 20 years.

It is understood that she had complained of a sore throat for some time before being admitted for tests last month.

Individual cases

She died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary last week.

A spokeswoman at Grampian University Hospitals Trust said the trust could not discuss individual cases but said staff and patients should not be concerned as person-to person infection is extremely unlikely.

Professor Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University's medical microbiology department, said the disease was very rare with only a handful of cases in Scotland every year.

Necrotising fasciitis usually occurs after injury or surgery and is treated with antibiotics and surgery or occasionally with a form of oxygen therapy.