A shocking incident has come to light in San Jose, California, where a woman had to undergo a life-saving quadruple limb amputation after consuming tilapia contaminated with deadly flesh-eating bacteria, as reported by The Sun.
'She almost lost her life'
Laura Barajas, aged 40, endured this traumatic surgery after spending a month in the hospital. Her friend, Anna Messina, expressed the profound impact of this ordeal, stating, “It’s just been really heavy on all of us. It’s terrible. This could’ve happened to any of us."
Messina recounted the distressing sequence of events, revealing that Barajas, a mother of a 6-year-old boy, fell ill shortly after consuming tilapia she had purchased from a local market in San Jose and prepared at home.
"She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator,” Messina said.
Barajas endured a month-long hospitalization before doctors resorted to amputating all four of her limbs to save her from this life-threatening situation. Messina described the extent of the damage, saying, “They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black, her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing."
According to Messina, Barajas had contracted Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially lethal bacterium commonly found in raw seafood and seawater.
“The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are, one, you can eat something that’s contaminated with it [and] the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives,” UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode.
CDC: 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus a year
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports approximately 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus annually, with one out of every five infected individuals succumbing to the illness.
Often referred to as a "flesh-eating bacteria" or predatory bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus can cause necrotizing infections, which involve the death of flesh surrounding an open wound, according to the CDC. The primary course of action recommended by the CDC for this condition is "early and aggressive surgical intervention and the removal of necrotic tissue," which, in Barajas's case, necessitated the amputation of all her limbs.
Late in August, the CDC issued a warning to healthcare providers, urging them to consider Vibrio vulnificus as a potential cause of infections, especially with rising seawater temperatures favoring bacterial growth.
The CDC's report states that one in five individuals infected with this bacterium does not survive, sometimes succumbing within one to two days of the onset of illness.
Tragically, several individuals, including two in Connecticut and one in New York, lost their lives this summer after exposure to Vibrio vulnificus. Additionally, a man in Texas lost his life after contracting the bacterium from consuming raw oysters.
Currently, Barajas's family is awaiting improvements in her condition to determine their path forward.
In response to this crisis, Messina initiated a GoFundMe campaign to alleviate Barajas's medical expenses and assist her in adapting to her new life. At present, over $100,000 has been raised to support her.
Reflecting on this ordeal, Messina emphasized the unpredictability of life, saying, "Little did she know that this simple act would change her life forever,” the fundraiser said. “Laura has been in the hospital for over a month, fighting for her life, she is now a quadruple amputee.”