Teen contracts flesh-eating bacteria after going canoeing

A US teenager has contracted flesh-eating bacteria after going canoeing.

Kayley Coletta, told Fox 19, she noticed a sore on her leg and covered it with a bandage while with her boyfriend at Little Miami River in Ohio last month.

But three days later she became sick with a headache, fever and her leg became swollen.

The teen’s mum, Kathy, said her daughter discovered the sore was black and “almost gangrene” when she took the bandage off.

The 16-year-old described it as “like something you see in scary movies”. She was taken to hospital.

Doctors diagnosed the teenager with group A Streptococcus Necrotising fasciitis. It’s also known as flesh-eating bacteria.

It’s believed she may have received the infection from water.

Ms Coletta said if the family had waited 24 hours longer to get it checked her daughter could have died.

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Kayley said doctors told her she was also at a higher risk of infection because she had recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

The girl has undergone three surgeries and will soon get a skin graft.