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Pair rushed to hospital after flesh eating bacteria 'strips' man's skin

A man and woman in New South Wales have been hospitalised after contracting a rare flesh-eating bacteria.

The pair were taken to Blacktown Hospital with Sky News reporting that the man in his 50s had his skin stripped “from his lower back down to his feet” after contracting necrotizing fasciitis.

He has since undergone surgery and if his condition worsens, he will be transferred to Westmead Hospital in Parramatta.

Western Sydney Health tweeted that the pair contracted the rare disease while in the Polynesia region and that there is no public health risk.

The pair remain in a stable condition at the Blacktown Hospital. Source: Wikipedia
The pair remain in a stable condition at the Blacktown Hospital. Source: Wikipedia

The woman has reportedly been affected from her knees down but both remain in a stable condition.

The rare condition can come as a result of an insect bite, likely from a spider or mosquito, and if left untreated can eat away skin, cause gangrene and lead to irreversible disfigurement.