Father dies after being infected by rare ‘flesh-eating disease’ despite his family saying he was the ‘fittest he had ever been’

A FATHER has died after being infected with a flesh-eating disease days after falling over and cutting himself, an inquest has heard.

Vinod Kumar was the "fittest he had ever been" when he fell over and cut himself with the 37-year-old soon after feeling dizzy and suffering flu-like symptoms.

He was examined by doctors five days after the fall, with doctors discovering he had necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating bug that rapidly infects the soft tissue and can kill.

Just hours after the diagnosis on August 10 2016, Kumar was dead,

The inquest heard that Mr Kumar came home early after work on August 4 as he was feeling unwell, telling his wife he had flu-like symptoms.

The 37-year-old visited his GP, who said he was suffering from a viral infection and recommended he keep taking pain relief and drinking plenty of fluids.

But when Mr Kumar grazed his elbow in a fall, with the injury visibly swollen, he was taken to the New Cross Hospital A&E on August 9.

The man remained in hospital, treated as a trauma patient, with an MRI scan scheduled for 2pm on August 10.

But the man's condition deteriorated rapidly with Mr Kumar transferred to the critical care unit.

He died about 5pm from multiple organ failure as a result of necrotising fasciitis brought on by a fall.