Flesh-eating infection caused by two microbe strains discovered by doctors

Infection found in patient who required quadruple amputation after developing rare condition

Doctors have discovered an aggressive flesh-eating infection that spreads around the body when two strains of microbe combine to overcome the host's defences.

The infection was found in a patient who required a quadruple amputation after they developed necrotising fasciitis, a rare bacterial condition that is lethal in nearly a third of cases, even when treatment is on hand.