A Florida man contracted the cannibal germ after a relative bit him on the leg during a family fight in February, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

Donnie Adams, 52, visited HCA Florida Northside Hospital two days later on Valentine’s Day to get tetanus shots and antibiotics, The Tampa Bay Times reported. report. Three days later, he returned for surgery, only to find that a rapidly spreading infection had rotted most of his thigh.

he got infected from the bite Necrotizing fasciitisthe news agency reported. Fritz Brink, the doctor who performed the surgery, was reported to have said that the human mouth is a suitable habitat for bacteria, so the bacteria could have come from the mouths of relatives or from the environment. (RELATED: Flesh-eating bacteria ‘perfect storm’ hitting U.S. shores, researchers believe)

According to the report, Adams was hospitalized for three weeks, but could have taken up to six months to recover if he hadn’t been optimistic and adhered to a recommended diet, which cut his recovery time in half. It is said that According to him, he maintained his spirit through prayer and meditation. WFLA News Channel 8.

Adams’ family is “extremely saddened,” the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The Tampa Bay Times said that flesh-eating bacterial infections from human bites are reportedly rare, and that Adams’ doctors had never seen such cases before. However, it is a particular concern for beachgoers as bacteria can be transmitted. with seaweed Scattered on the beach. Another man in Florida recently contracted the disease while helping a neighbor remove hooks from a fish he caught in a nearby pond, nearly losing his thumb to the bacteria. ABC Action News report.