WAUKESHA, Wis. -- Health officials are keeping a close eye on the threat of a new strain of super germ that can eat flesh.

Six months ago, Dee Dee Wallace developed an infection about the size of a quarter on her backside.

The first doctor put her on antibiotics. But soon, another boil developed on her knee, and it was worse. She made four trips to doctors before she finally got the right diagnosis -- methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

The flesh-eating bacteria caused a 7-inch hole in her leg, which had to be closed through surgery.

"I was scared to death. (The doctors said), 'You're definitely going to have plastic surgery. I have to remove a big part of your knee. You might lose your leg. You might lose your life,'" Williams said.

MRSA is a new strain of staph infection, according to experts.

University of California, Los Angeles researcher Dr. Loren Miller is tracking the "super germ."

"It was essentially a non-problem five years ago. And now, it's a huge problem," Miller said. "They seem to be causing infection a heck of a lot more easily than we recall in the past. And they seem to be more contagious than the staph (infection) that seemed to be floating around previously."

After her first plastic surgery, Williams is hopeful the super germ is gone. But she still has no idea how she picked it up.

Williams has been showing signs of resistance to the only antibiotic that fights the super germ.

As she recovers, Williams is lobbying lawmakers to call for development of new antibiotics that can fight the germ.

MRSA is contagious. So, the best way to keep it from spreading is good hand-washing.

The places where MRSA has been most commonly found are health clubs and in prisons.

Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Loren Miller Article

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

Nursing Standard

IFH Home Hygiene