A young father died after contracting Staphylococcus aureus, apparently from a cut to the corner of his mouth.
- Lockie Seddon, a 20-year-old Australian, noticed he had a strange injury on his lip.
- He contracted a staphylococcus aureus infection. His brain was affected by the bacteria.
- He died within a few days.
Lockie Seddon, a 20-year-old father, died on November 24, 2024, a few days after noticing a strange injury on his lip.
The Australian, who was going to be a father for the third time in a few months, contracted a bacterial infection which spread to his brain. Her aunt Danielle Sherer shared her tragic story with the sites Daily Mail Australia And News.com.au.
Staphylococcus aureus: the infection spread very quickly
Lockie Seddon noticed he had a small lesion on his lip, similar to a cold sore. Although this type of wound is not initially worrying, its appearance “odd” led the young man to consult his general practitioner. The latter was reassuring: it’s only a small cut.
But the next morning, his health had deteriorated. “Lockie woke up the next day, his eyes were so swollen and bulging that he said to his partner: “I’m dying.”Danielle Sherer explained to Australian media. He was rushed to hospital.
Tests revealed that he had contracted a staphylococcus aureus infection. This bacteria, also called Staphylococcus aureus, had reached the brain. To try to save him, doctors placed the father of two little boys aged 3 and 2 in an artificial coma.
“Since it’s a small regional hospital they couldn’t meet all of his needs, so they flew him straight to Melbourne”said the aunt.
“He had never seen a Staphylococcus aureus infection do that.”
Despite the patient being treated by the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the bacterial infection could not be stopped. Lockie Seddon did not “never woke up” and passed away on November 27. “The critical care specialist who took care of Lockie said he had never seen a Staphylococcus aureus infection do that.”
After this very sudden death, his partner Claire wondered if she had missed a symptom. “The doctors said there were no missed signs and there was nothing anyone could do, it was already too late”said the aunt who opened a fundraiser for her nephew’s family.
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. However, the bacteria can also be contracted outside of the hospital. “It is a common bacteria that can colonize the skin or nose without necessarily causing illness (30 to 50% of the population are healthy carriers of staphylococcus, Editor’s note). However, if it enters the body via a cut, a scrape or other skin injury, it can cause an infection. Infections can become serious if the bacteria invade deeper tissues or enter the bloodstream.specifiesInstitut Pasteur on its website.
According to a study published in The Lancet in 2022, Staphylococcus aureus would have been the cause of more than 1 million deaths worldwide and more than 16,000 in France in 2019.
