Orlando woman survives infection from flesh-eating bacteria

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A Casselberry woman is healing after contracting an infection from water at a Sarasota beach.

Sarah Martinez says she was at Turtle Beach Monday to celebrate her birthday. She went swimming in the ocean after nicking her ankle shaving, and soon after felt a stinging sensation on her cut.

A day later, Martinez says her ankle was swollen. "The cut was really red, it was really swollen, I could barely put pressure on my foot when I walked," she said.

Martinez immediately went to the hospital. She had heard about cases of flesh eating bacteria. Doctors diagnosed her with cellulitis caused by flesh eating bacteria.

"If I would've waited another day, they told me it could've turned into that and I could've lost my leg," she said.

Doctors say flesh eating bacteria is uncommon, but one should see a doctor is a cut seems infected and they've been in the water.

"We have all had scrapes and cuts and stuff on our legs. Usually that pain is not enough that we can't do normal activities of life. These folks who come in have excruciating pain even for a small laceration," said Dr. Jason Wilson at Tampa General Hospital.