Australian teen's feet won't stop bleeding after sea bugs bite him
- 7 years ago
DENDY STREET BEACH, VICTORIA — For an Australian teen, dipping his toes in the ocean might never be the same, after he left the water with bleeding legs that just wouldn't quit.
On August 5, Sam Kanizay, 16, hit the beach to soothe his aching muscles after a soccer game with some friends. When he sunk his feet into the water, he felt a strange tingling, but thought nothing of it at the time. After about a half-hour soak, Sam eventually lifted his feet out of the water, but got the shock of his life to find them absolutely drenched in blood.
Sam rushed to the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried cleaning him up to find the source of the problem. But as soon as he'd been wiped down, the blood just kept leaking out. Sam's case initially mystified the medical community, until a local marine biologist collected samples and discovered the culprits were amphripods, a type of scavenging crustacean.
Often referred to as "sea fleas," the flesh-obsessed little creatures are known for their bites, but such levels of blood loss are practically unheard of. Museums Victoria suspects an anticoagulant being released by the crustaceans may have been responsible for Sam's horrific condition.
Though in a tremendous amount of pain at the time, the amphripods bite doesn't pack any venom, Sam will reportedly be healthy again soon, once the thousands of 2mm sized bites on his legs heal.
City officials report Dendy Street Beach in Brighton remains open.
On August 5, Sam Kanizay, 16, hit the beach to soothe his aching muscles after a soccer game with some friends. When he sunk his feet into the water, he felt a strange tingling, but thought nothing of it at the time. After about a half-hour soak, Sam eventually lifted his feet out of the water, but got the shock of his life to find them absolutely drenched in blood.
Sam rushed to the hospital, where doctors and nurses tried cleaning him up to find the source of the problem. But as soon as he'd been wiped down, the blood just kept leaking out. Sam's case initially mystified the medical community, until a local marine biologist collected samples and discovered the culprits were amphripods, a type of scavenging crustacean.
Often referred to as "sea fleas," the flesh-obsessed little creatures are known for their bites, but such levels of blood loss are practically unheard of. Museums Victoria suspects an anticoagulant being released by the crustaceans may have been responsible for Sam's horrific condition.
Though in a tremendous amount of pain at the time, the amphripods bite doesn't pack any venom, Sam will reportedly be healthy again soon, once the thousands of 2mm sized bites on his legs heal.
City officials report Dendy Street Beach in Brighton remains open.