NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — There is still much to be known about organisms in fresh-standing bodies of water.

Health experts are looking to determine if a California man who died after jumping into a pond after his dog, died of necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacterium.

Yale Medicine Dr. Albert Shaw discussed the symptoms of strep, or necrotizing fasciitis in an interview with News 8.

According to Dr. Shaw, the symptoms include pain, redness, fever, and immense pain that one would not normally associate with a skin infection.

While the infections are uncommon, Dr. Shaw said these infections can be deadly. People who already have health issues are at an increased risk for infection.

Health Headlines: The fatal link between strep throat and swimming in ponds

Dr. Shaw says the infections are not something you can treat at home, and to seek medical care for painful symptoms.

In other health news, new research has revealed there could be a connection between COVID and the development of autoimmune diseases.

Doctors are now seeing autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or diabetes are associated with the coronavirus.

Dr. Shaw also discussed how specially trained dogs are being used to detect a variety of illnesses including malaria, seizures and cancers in the medical field. Researchers in California have trained the K9’s to detect volatile organic compounds released in people with COVID.

1500 school children were tested and results showed the dogs could detect the virus 90% accuracy.

“I guess the idea is maybe to try to decrease use of rapid tests if possible. It’s a pilot study. Kind of an interesting idea for something perhaps in the future as we kind of learn to live with covid,” Shaw said.