Masterful Miracle Doctor

Chapter 1066 - 1028: Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Lin Jie quickly skimmed through the documents in his hand but didn't find any noteworthy clues.However, at least he learned that this guy named Renger was someone who paid great attention to his health.

Every morning, Renger would jog for twenty minutes in a park near his residence, accompanied by security personnel, and he often played golf on weekends.

Additionally, he maintained a routine of having a medical check-up every six months and visiting the dentist.

From the photos, Lin Jie could also tell that this person kept himself in good shape.

Although over sixty, Renger didn't have a big belly, nor did he show any excess fat on his arms or legs.

"Ah Jie!"

The voice of Shen Lanruo echoed in Lin Jie's mind, "Senior government officials like Renger have very comprehensive health insurance, and if there were any diseases, they would be detected."

"Moreover, Americans highly cherish life and don't have a spirit of working despite illness."

"If he had any potentially life-threatening chronic illness or cancer, the first choice would be to stop working and seek treatment."

"Therefore, if this person truly returned home suddenly for health reasons, it must have been due to a sudden illness."

"You might consider heart disease, brain disorders, and given that he visited Africa, infectious diseases should also be taken into account. There's also the possibility of a terrorist virus attack."

"Thank you for the suggestion, Lanruo. I'll focus on acute illnesses,"

Lin Jie replied quietly, put down the documents in his hand, and said, "Water Buffalo, I need the recent video footage of this person before his sudden return home, the higher the clarity, the better."

Water Buffalo, who had been quietly accompanying Lin Jie, didn't say a word, just made a gesture.

Immediately, a video appeared on a screen that occupied an entire wall.

Meanwhile, the sound of Renger speaking in American English echoed in the communications room.

Water Buffalo introduced, "Expert Lin, this is a video of his joint press conference with the president of the visited country."

"Less than an hour after this press conference, he suddenly interrupted his visit and took a private plane back home."

Looking at the person in the video, Lin Jie said, "Zoom in on his image while maintaining clarity."

With these words, the sixty-year-old man with silver-white hair, his long and thin face suddenly became as large as a small car tire.

Lin Jie noticed slight bloodshot in Renger's eyes, small beads of sweat on his nose and forehead, and the carotid artery in his neck occasionally visible as his head lifted and turned left and right.

He suddenly asked, "What was the indoor temperature during this press conference?"

Water Buffalo paused and said, "Expert Lin, please wait a moment, our journalists also attended the event, and we'll find out the temperature soon."

Lin Jie nodded and spoke again, "Get me a recent comparison video of Renger, preferably in a similar setting."

As he finished speaking, the screen split into two, and another video began playing simultaneously.

Lin Jie squinted and observed for a while.

After comparing, he found that at the African press conference, Renger's carotid artery protruded more noticeably, and his cheeks were slightly redder.

He also detected differences in Renger's voice.

In the African press conference, his voice was somewhat unclear, and he seemed to have a nasal tone.

At this time, a line appeared on the African press conference video, "Comfortable body temperature, indoor temperature approximately around twenty-three to twenty-four degrees."

Seeing this temperature, Lin Jie murmured to himself, "Temperature is comfortable, yet Renger's face is slightly sweaty, his cheeks are flushed, and his carotid artery is protruding, indicating high blood pressure, accelerated heartbeat, and slightly slurred speech..."

"Could it be a heart attack?"

"It probably isn't a heart attack!"

Water Buffalo softly explained, "Though African nations are underdeveloped in many areas, they still have the equipment and conditions to treat heart attacks. If it were truly a heart attack, it would have alarmed the local medical department, rather than returning home in haste."

"However, our intelligence personnel stationed locally didn't find any relevant information."

Lin Jie nodded in agreement.

He watched the video again, but still didn't find anything extra, and softly said, "Show the full view!"

The image on the video shrank a bit, bringing more people into the frame.

The video played slowly, and at the end of the press conference, Renger performed a ceremonial hug and cheek-kissing with the African president, who was dressed in traditional ethnic clothing, with the president's wife for the photographers.

Lin Jie suddenly noticed a detail and hurriedly said, "Zoom in and loop the process of Renger hugging and cheek-kissing the president's wife."

After watching this process multiple times, Lin Jie instructed, "Show the full view again and replay once more."

Having viewed it again, Lin Jie turned to the desk with files, searched for a while, and picked out a photo.

This was a photo Renger posted on Twitter.

In the picture, he appeared cheerfully displaying a rusty saber.

He also wrote on Twitter that while cleaning the rain-soaked attic with his family, he discovered the saber used by his grandfather during the Civil War.

What Lin Jie noticed was a thin wound on Renger's left index finger in that photo.

This photo was published three days ago.

Lin Jie pointed to the small wound on Renger's index finger and said to Water Buffalo, "This guy might be suffering from necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as a flesh-eating bacteria infection."

The flesh-eating bacteria is also known as carnivorous bacteria.

Carnivorous bacteria is not a single bacterium, but refers to necrotizing fasciitis caused by different bacteria, which is a general term for bacteria like streptococci or those that can damage muscle tissue.

Bacteria such as Group A streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus can infect the victim's skin tissue through epidermal wounds, lymph nodes, etc.

This bacterium will "eat away" the infected from the inside.

In severe cases, the muscle tissue throughout the body rapidly necrotizes and forms depressions, with the internal tissue of the infected area completely exposed, which is terrifying, hence the terrifying name "flesh-eating bacteria."

However, the incidence of flesh-eating bacteria is very low, with only a two or three in 100,000 chance.

Flesh-eating bacteria are very easily found on seafood.

Activities like fishing, diving, or getting injured by seafood at a market can all provide the opportunity for a flesh-eating bacteria infection.

Among the various seafood infection pathways, eating raw oysters carries the highest risk.

Possible sources of bacterial infection also include undercooked meat, urban sewage, agricultural products fertilized with untreated human waste, shared injection needles, etc.

Even being bitten by tiny insects can allow flesh-eating bacteria to enter the body and consume life through these small wounds.

The terror of this bacterium lies in its extreme toxicity, which people with weak immunity cannot resist.

It might attack a person's body without them noticing.

It could happen while mowing the lawn and accidentally cutting oneself; or while washing shrimp and getting poked by a shrimp claw;

Therefore, if wounds appear on your body under any circumstances, you should clean them with disinfectant immediately to avoid any chance of infection.

The early symptoms of flesh-eating bacteria infection are similar to common infections, with mild onset, making them hard for patients to notice and very easily overlooked.

However, once infection occurs, it spreads throughout the body within twenty-four hours, entering a rapid-onset phase.

After explaining a few things about flesh-eating bacteria to Water Buffalo, Lin Jie pointed to the video and said: "If you observe carefully, you'll discover..."

"When Renger greeted the First Lady with a cheek kiss, her nostrils suddenly flared, and then a clearly disgusted expression appeared on her face."

"In fact, when the President greeted Renger with a cheek kiss, he had a similar expression."

"However, the President attempted to control the expression, but subtle expressions don't lie. You can see it through the slight twitch of the President's eye corners, the flaring of his nostrils, and so on."

"Why would these two make such expressions?"

Lin Jie speculated: "It's very likely that Renger emitted an unpleasant odor, which is why these two political figures couldn't hide their disgust!"

"One of the symptoms of flesh-eating bacteria infection is rapid tissue decay giving off a foul smell."

"A flesh-eating bacteria infection can also explain Renger's sweating, flushed cheeks, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and slurred speech symptoms."

"At that time, Renger was at the rapid onset stage of a flesh-eating bacteria infection, with the body undergoing an emergency immune response."

Excitedly, Water Buffalo asked: "A flesh-eating bacteria infection? Expert Lin, can you confirm it?"

Lin Jie just laughed, spread his hands, and said: "With just these hints? How can I confirm that?"

"This is just my bold hypothesis."

"Perhaps he just happened to pass gas at that moment, which is also quite possible."

Water Buffalo couldn't help but laugh, immediately straightened his face, and said: "Expert Lin, be serious, this is no laughing matter."

"If he really is infected with flesh-eating bacteria, is there a way we can confirm it?"

Lin Jie fell silent for a moment, then recalled what Shen Lanruo said: "There is a superbug research center in Philadelphia. Their research and treatment of flesh-eating bacteria are among the best in the United States."

"If Renger is indeed infected with flesh-eating bacteria, he will likely go there for treatment."

Water Buffalo nodded and said: "We will immediately send someone to verify this."

"Expert Lin, if Renger is truly infected with flesh-eating bacteria, what about him?"

Lin Jie pondered for a moment and said: "Currently, there is no particularly effective treatment for flesh-eating bacteria infections; only surgical removal of the infected area and enhancing the body's immune system."

"If Renger is indeed infected with flesh-eating bacteria, although the odor can only be detected during a cheek kiss, this already indicates that the infection has spread throughout the body."

"This disease progresses rapidly and severely, with a high mortality rate."

"This Renger is in deep trouble..."