In a shocking event, an American woman lost all four of her limbs after eating a commonly consumed fish in the United States. Laura Barajas, 40 a resident of California reported having eaten undercooked tilapia fish that is commonly found in shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes in the US.
Barajas unfortunately was infected by Vibrio Vulnificus bacteria (ViV) which she fought for a month before she had to get all of her limbs amputated. In response, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) issued a health advisory for healthcare providers, laboratories, and public health departments to alert them about the increase in ViV infections in the US.
What Is Vibrio Vulnificus?
Barajas’ friend Anna Messina started a GoFundMe page to alleviate the financial burdens of dealing with this deadly bacteria. On the page, Messina informed that Barajas had purchased the fish from a local market last month and cooked it on her own at home. Unfortunately, the fish was undercooked which allowed the ViV to enter her body and wreak havoc that left her without limbs.
The US CDC shared in their advisory that vibrio causes 80,000 illnesses each year in the United States. About a dozen species of vibrio are pathogenic to humans, out of which ViV is the deadliest, and causes one in five people to die sometimes within one to two days of becoming ill.
Also Read: Scientists Find How Eating Oily Fish Could Impact Your Brain Health
Some of the symptoms of ViV infection are:
- Watery diarrhoea
- Stomach cramping
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Display redness
- Pain and swelling
- Discolouration
- Discharge
- Necrosis
- Soft Tissue Infection
- Skin Lesions
Preventing Vibrio Vulnificus
Underscoring the importance of cooking your fish properly, the US CDC shared that ViV is usually spread through eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. People can also get infected when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water containing Vibrio or comes in contact with raw or undercooked seafood. Hence it is also important to wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw fish.
Additionally, everyone should practice caution when eating fish or roaming around water bodies, as coastal floods, hurricanes, and storm surges, can force coastal waters into inland areas, and possibly spread the bacteria there as well. US CDC informed that ViV infections in the Eastern United States increased eightfold from 1988–2018, and the geographic range of infections has been on the rise, with an increase of 48 km per year.
Also Read: 8 Pros And Cons Of Consuming Fish And Healthy Ways To Incorporate It In Your Diet
Listing additional risk factors for ViV, the US CDC shared that people who According to the US CDC, anyone can get a Vibrio wound infection. However, people who have liver disease, diabetes, and immunocompromising conditions are more susceptible to ViV infection.
Finally, the US CDC shared that prompt treatment is the first line of defence against severe ViV infection. Hence it is essential to be aware of this morbid bacterial infection. Although this bacteria is limited to the US right now, everyone around the world needs to know about the devastating story of Laura Barajas to understand the life-changing implications of eating undercooked fish.
