Tulsa—A University of Tulsa football player who died in late April was killed by a flesh-eating bacterium. A handsome, young and healthy man, Devin Adair was suddenly killed by the mysterious bacterium. News Channel 8's Jerry Giordano spoke with experts, including a local man who survived it.

Janet Bacon is an Infectious Disease Specialist at Hillcrest Medical Center.

"This flesh-eating bacterium is a rapidly spreading disease caused by injury or surgical procedure," she says.

Symptoms include swelling, leaving the infected area bluish, white or flaky. Treatments include antibiotics and, in some cases, amputation.

"It actually tunnels through the muscle," Bacon says. "Really progresses through the bloodstream. People die quickly."

You don't have to tell that to Tulsa personal trainer Landry Davison. He survived a battle with a mysterious bacterial infection. That was in 2004.

"My arm swelled up real bad, my blood pressure was up," Davison says. "My health was failing. They put me in the hospital for seven days or so."

In his case, treatment may have saved Davison's life.

"After the skin gets infected to a point, they have to cut it out of your body. They cut here and through the midsection."

But, a treatment never came for Devin Adair. Sadly, his diagnosis came too little too late. It was discovered during his autopsy.

Since 2003, ten people in Oklahoma have died from the so-called flesh-eating bacteria. On average, five hundred cases are reported nationwide every year.

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