Michigan woman in ICU with flesh-eating bacteria

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FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., July 6 (UPI) -- A southeastern Michigan woman is in serious condition in the intensive-care unit at a Detroit hospital with a rare, flesh-eating disease, her husband said.

Crystal Spencer, 33, of Farmington Hills has been at Detroit Receiving Hospital since June 30 with the flesh-eating bacteria necrotizing fasciitis, WXYZ-TV, Detroit, reported.

Her husband, Jeff Spencer, said a surgeon said the flesh-eating bacteria could kill his wife.

Crystal Spencer has had a part of her midsection -- about the size of a baby watermelon -- removed.

As a result of the flesh-eating bacteria, doctors recently amputated the left leg, right foot and both hands of Georgia student Aimee Copeland to save her life, WXYZ said.

Jeff Spencer said he believes Crystal contracted the infection at another metropolitan Detroit hospital recently when she had surgery to remove an abscess from her leg that may have been caused by her Type 2 diabetes.

He said the family will pursue legal action against the hospital where he believes she contracted the infection.

Spencer's husband said his wife is "alert but she's not to the point where she can talk or really do much."