A flesh-eating virus is a misnomer.

Although, in some scientific communities debate continues whether a virus is considered living or an organic structure; viruses do not have a metabolism so they will never eat. They're not responsive to stimulus, and they also do not carry out respiration. And because they do not grow through cell division, they need to hijack a host cell for it's duplication machinery to start reproduction of their own genetic blueprints. Furthermore, there is no stopping a virus like a chemical reaction, once started it must run it's course. Prevention is key.

The virus Ebola hemorrhagic fever interferes with platelets cells and the cells lining the interior of blood vessels, and in the fatal stages the damage can cause a person's body to leak blood from their eyes, ears, and anus but will never feast on the sludge that once was a body.

Most likely, the Ebola virus lead to the inaccurate nomenclature we have today.

BQ09