In case you haven’t heard of Aimee Copeland, she is the 24-year-old fighting off a life-threatening infection of flesh-eating bacteria.
The eco-psychology grad student caught the gruesome affliction last week after falling from a homemade zipline into Georgia’s Little Tallapoosa River May 1st and sustaining a deep gash to her left calf that required 22 staples to stitch up.
Within three days, a bacteria called Aeromonas hydrophila, common in warm climates and fresh water, had caused an infection called necrotizing fasciitis in the leg. In order to prevent the infection from spreading further, doctors have amputated most of her left leg, part of her abdomen and may amputate her other foot and part of her hands, though they hope to save her palms so she can someday use prosthetic fingers.
Learn answers to common questions about necrotizing fasciitis, the infection that has taken Aimee Copeland's leg and may claim her life. Read the full story
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/science-scope/the-science-behind-flesh-eating...
