After suffering an ankle injury on a treadmill, an 11-year-old boy died from a deadly flesh-eating bacteria.

11-year-old Jesse Brown, who lived with his parents in Winter Park, Florida, passed away less than two weeks after being diagnosed with the rare and lethal illness known as Group A Strep or iGAS.

The death of the child occurred after a CDC report reported an increase in the number of kids infected with Group A Strep in the United States.

Brown injured his ankle on a treadmill on January 16. He loved riding motorcycles and participated in many BMX and motocross competitions.

His parents said that he woke up on January 22 with a peculiar rash on his thigh, about five days after the injury. They claimed that he had red and purple bruises all over him. Within a few days, doctors told the family that the boy’s organs were failing.

The illness also caused Brown’s brain to enlarge.

On January 27, Brown passed away after being intubated.

The CDC estimates that each year there are between 14,000 and 25,000 confirmed cases of Group A Strep infection, resulting in 1,500 to 2,500 fatalities.

The CDC noted an uptick in iGAS infections this month. According to the study, the COVID-19 pandemic saw a sharp decline in infections, presumably as a result of social isolation and lockdown procedures. Nevertheless, the number of infections reached pre-pandemic levels in 2022, according to confirmed instances.

Seminole County’s medical director, Dr. Todd Husty, said that if a person experiences symptoms that are more severe than those of a sprained ankle or a wound, they should go to the emergency room right away and have the wound checked, especially if symptoms involve a fever.

Extreme pain, fever, a rapidly increasing swollen or red area, a change in skin color, and dizziness are among the warning signs listed by the CDC.