'Healthy' woman dies days after catching superbug that 'ate holes in her lungs'

12 March 2024 , 17:26

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Ashley Timbery had a superbug which ate a hole in her lungs (Image: Facebook)

A healthy woman suddenly died days after she caught a superbug which attacked her organs and caused holes in her lungs.

Ashley Timbery, 29, seemed perfectly fine other than a few boils until she collapsed. She was rushed to Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Sydney, and doctors found bacteria in her lungs.

She was moved to St George Hospital where she was diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - also known as superbug MRSA. It triggered pneumonia and she died ten days later. Her cousin Shantelle Locke told Yahoo News Australia : “It turned out she had a superbug that was attacking all of her organs, and then she got pneumonia and that ultimately killed her.

“She actually died when she got to the hospital so they resuscitated and incubated her straight away. She also had sepsis all through her body. The doctors showed us a CT scan showing a normal lung. Then they showed us hers — hers was just covered in holes- this was a result of her lungs being clogged from the pneumonia, and from the bug starting to sit in the cavities in her lungs."

The NHS says MRSA usually lives harmlessly on the skin but if it gets inside the body, it can cause a serious infection that needs immediate treatment with antibiotics. Symptoms of MRSA include having an area of skin which is painful and swollen, feels warm when you touch it, leaks pus or liquid and looks red

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If the infection spreads to your blood or lungs people may experience high temperatures, difficulty breathing, chills, dizziness and confusion. The NHS added: “MRSA can be treated with antibiotics, more serious infections may need to be treated in hospital with antibiotics given by injection or a drip into a vein in your arm. You may need antibiotics for a few days or up to a few months, depending on how serious the infection is.

“If you get complications, you may need further treatment, such as surgery to drain a build-up of pus (abscess). People staying in care homes and hospitals (especially those having surgery) are at a higher risk of getting an MRSA infection. If you're visiting someone in a care home or hospital, follow any instructions you're given about washing or sanitising your hands.”

Antony Clements-Thrower