Texas man needed both hands amputated after flea bite
Michael Kohlhof's family says his catastrophic decline in health started with a single bite. Ildar Abulkhanov/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Michael Kohlhof's descent into a medical catastrophe started with a single bite from a miniscule insect, his family says. Last month, Kohlhof traveled from Houston to San Antonio to take care of his mom after she underwent surgery. During the trip, quickly became so sick that he couldn't get out of bed, according to KHOU 11.
Kohlhof eventually went to the emergency room in San Antonio, where doctors diagnosed him with Typhus, a bacteria that spreads among humans through lice, chigger and flea bites. Per KHOU 11, Michael's partner Alishpa Masood said doctors explained that Michael had contracted a type of Typhus that only spreads via fleas.
According to KHOU 11, doctors have amputated both of his hands and "parts of his feet and toes" during his month-long stay at the hospital.
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“He has gone beyond our expectations as far as strength and bravery... He has a really positive outlook that we’re all really proud of," Kohlhof's partner Masood told KHOU 11.
Masood and Kolhof's mother J'Lenne Hardaway old KHOU 11 they were informed by doctors that Kohlhof had been bitten by a specific type of Typhus-carrying flea only found in California and Texas. Both Kohlhof's mother and Masood said they're "pretty sure" the bite occured in Houston. "The whole family" owns dogs and cats, per KHOU 11.
Source: Chron
