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Undercooked Fish Leads to Mother's Amputation
23 Feb
Summary
- Mother lost all four limbs after eating undercooked tilapia fish.
- A bacterial infection caused complete sepsis and kidney failure.
- The infection is suspected to be from vibrio vulnificus bacteria.
A mother in California, Laura Barajas, faced a devastating outcome after consuming undercooked tilapia fish in July 2024. The incident led to a severe bacterial infection that turned her fingers and feet black and caused her to develop complete sepsis.
After months of battling the infection in the hospital, her condition worsened, leading to kidney failure. This necessitated life-saving amputation surgeries, resulting in the loss of all four of her limbs. She is a mother to a six-year-old son.
Medical experts suspect the infection originated from vibrio vulnificus, a pathogen identified by the CDC as having a significant fatality rate. This bacterial strain can be contracted through consuming contaminated food or through open wounds exposed to its habitat.
Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode advised sensible precautions, such as avoiding submerging open cuts in water until they are fully healed, to prevent infection.
