An American mother had to have all four of her limbs amputated after eating undercooked fish contaminated with “flesh-eating bacteria”, also called Vibrio vulnificus.
- Laura Barajas, 40, was infected with flesh-eating bacteria after eating undercooked fish.
- After a month of hospitalization, doctors had to amputate all 4 of his limbs to save his life.
- American authorities have noticed an increase in cases of contamination by these bacteria in recent years. It is linked to global warming.
A month ago, Laura Barajas40, bought fish at the market in San Jose (California), then she went home to prepare it and eat it alone. This completely mundane activity changed his life forever… Lthe animal was contaminated by “flesh-eating bacteria”called Vibrio vulnificus.
Flesh-eating bacteria: 4 limbs amputated after a month of hospitalization
The next day, the mother felt ill. Once at the hospital, doctors quickly realized that the fish dish had not been cooked enough and had given him Vibrio vulnificus. These flesh-eating bacteria cause very serious infections. Besides, Laura’s condition Barajas quickly deteriorated.
“They put her in a medically induced coma. His fingers were black, his feet were black, his lower lip was black. She suffered from complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing”, explained her friend Anna Messina to the American channel KRON and then taken over by the New York Post.
“She almost lost her life. She was under respirator“she added.
Hospitalized for more than a month, the Californian finally had to undergo an amputation of all 4 limbs on September 13 in order to save her life. “That was very heavy for all of us. It’s terrible. This could have happened to any of us.”recognizes her friend who opened a page GoFundMe. The goal is to finance her medical expenses and help her adapt to her new life once she leaves the hospital.
Vibrio vulnificus : an increase in cases worrying
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria that thrives primarily in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the east coast of the United States. It can infect people who have an open wound (surgery, cut, scrape, tattoo) when they are in contact with these waters. It is also possible to be contaminated by eating shellfish and certain fish, which carry the bacteria, raw or undercooked.
In early September, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert because five people had been killed by “these eating bacteria of flesh”. According to experts, the increase in cases of infections observed (multiplied eightfold between 1988 and 2018 in the United States) in recent years, has been driven by global warming.
According to estimates from authorities across the Atlantic, there are currently between 150 and 200 cases of infections by Vibro vulnificus per year in the USA. About 1 in 5 results in a death.
