Flesh-eating bacteria left Cambridgeshire mother in two-week coma
Caroline Fonjock, 45, survived a rare necrotising fasciitis infection that required emergency surgery. She spent two weeks in a coma and is now urging others to be aware of the disease. Fonjock credits her survival to medics who provided a quick diagnosis and treatment.
What changed
Added that Fonjock attributes her survival to the quick diagnosis and treatment by medical staff.
Live updates
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Caroline Fonjock survives rare necrotising fasciitis infection
confidence 80%Caroline Fonjock, 45, survived a rare necrotising fasciitis infection that required emergency surgery. She spent two weeks in a coma and is now urging others to be aware of the disease. Fonjock credits her survival to medics who provided a quick diagnosis and treatment.
What's confirmed:
- Caroline Fonjock survived a rare necrotising fasciitis infection that required emergency surgery.
- The 45-year-old spent two weeks in a coma.
- Fonjock is urging others to be aware of the disease.
Still unconfirmed:
- Fonjock said the infection made her skin look like roadkill.
- Fonjock owes her life to medics who quickly diagnosed and treated her.
- Fonjock's experience is aiding researchers in Cambridge.
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Haverhill mother shares survival story after flesh-eating infection
confidence 90%Caroline Fonjock survived a rare necrotising fasciitis infection that required emergency surgery. The 45-year-old spent two weeks in a coma and is now urging others to be aware of the disease. Her experience is currently aiding researchers in Cambridge.
What's confirmed:
- Caroline Fonjock is a 45-year-old mother from Haverhill.
- Fonjock spent two weeks in a coma due to a flesh-eating infection.
- The patient required emergency surgery for the disease.
Still unconfirmed:
- Fonjock vomited black tar.
- The infection left her leg looking like roadkill.
- Fonjock initially believed she had a boil.
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Cambridgeshire Mother Survives Rare Flesh-Eating Infection
confidence 90%Caroline Fonjock survived a rare flesh-eating infection after a rapid decline. She spent two weeks in a coma and credits her survival to fast NHS diagnosis and care. Her case now assists researchers in Cambridge studying necrotising fasciitis.
What's confirmed:
- Caroline Fonjock survived a rare flesh-eating infection due to rapid NHS care.
- A Cambridgeshire mother fell into a coma because of flesh-eating bacteria.
Still unconfirmed:
- Caroline Fonjock said the bug made her skin look like roadkill.
- The survivor is a mum-of-two living near a Suffolk town.
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Cambridgeshire mother in coma after flesh-eating bacteria infection; UK cases rise
confidence 88%A Cambridgeshire woman spent two weeks in a coma after contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection. Survivors and medical research are now spotlighting early warning signs and diagnostic gaps. Florida reports eight confirmed Vibrio vulnificus cases this year, with experts warning of rapid spread through coastal wounds. Treatment speed remains critical to survival.
What's confirmed:
- A Cambridgeshire mother was left in a two-week coma after contracting flesh-eating bacteria, with survival attributed to rapid medical intervention.
- Caroline Fonjock, the survivor, has credited medics for quick diagnosis and treatment, though her recovery has sparked research into faster diagnostic methods.
- Flesh-eating infections like Vibrio vulnificus are rare but increasingly reported, particularly in coastal regions where wounds exposed to seawater are at risk.
- Symptoms include severe pain, redness, swelling, and skin blistering or discoloration resembling ‘roadkill,’ though early signs like localized pain may be overlooked.
- Florida has recorded up to eight Vibrio vulnificus cases in 2026, with infections capable of spreading rapidly and becoming life-threatening.
- Diagnostic delays are a recurring issue, with survivors noting initial misdiagnosis as spider bites or minor infections before severe symptoms emerged.
Still unconfirmed:
- A Cambridgeshire inquest may be scheduled to review the case, though no official dates or details have been confirmed.
- Mondelez International’s operations in Russia are being scrutinized amid reports of supply chain disruptions, though unrelated to the bacterial infection.