After buying a fish at a fishmonger's, Laura Barajas cooked it at home before eating it. She didn't feel anything unusual until she fell ill the next day. Her condition was so serious that she had to be placed in an induced coma, before having her arms and legs amputated.
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Hospitalized for a month after eating tilapia
The 40-year-old mother of one bought the tilapia at a fishmonger's in San José, California. As she learned after eating it, the fish was infected with Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially fatal bacterium. Her condition worsened, her fingertips turned black and she was placed on life support.
As Anna Messina, one of her friends, who set up a GoFundMe fund to help her, explains:
Laura has been in hospital for over a month, fighting for her life, and is now a quadruple amputee. On September 13, 2023, Laura's four limbs had to be removed to save her life.
Read more:Toxic Shock Syndrome: This woman nearly died after leaving a tampon in for almost 2 months
Vibrio vulnificus, dangerous bacteria that takes advantage of global warming
When cooking the tilapia, Laura Barajas may have undercooked the fish, allowing the bacteria to develop in her body. In the United States, Vibrio vulnificus infects around 200 people a year, and is fatal in 1/5 of those infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Unlike other Vibrio species, V. vulnificus is transmitted primarily through contact of an open wound with salt or brackish water, but occasionally (in about 10% of cases), the bacteria can also infect people who consume raw or undercooked shellfish.
As this bacterium proliferates in warm waters, health authorities are observing an upsurge in cases of contamination, in parallel with global warming.
Laura Barajas, 40, has had her limbs amputated while battling a bacterial infection. Barajas' friend told KRON she likely got the infection after eating undercooked tilapia. https://t.co/3mVL37yppO
— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego) September 17, 2023
Read more:'Dangerous food to eat': Two restaurateurs die after eating this popular shellfish
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Sources used:
Insider: California mother lost all her limbs from bacterial infection after eating undercooked tilapia
GoFundme: Help with Lauras' Unexpected Turn
CDC: Severe Vibrio vulnificus Infections in the United States Associated with Warming Coastal Waters
