In a disturbing case, a US woman lost all her four limbs after eating contaminated fish, according to media reports.
California resident, Laura Barajas, 40, got a bacterial infection after eating undercooked tilapia fish, as per New York Post report.
After a month-long stay at hospital, surgery saved her life, but all her limbs had to be amputated as she had complete sepsis.
"It's just been really heavy on all of us. It’s terrible. This could’ve happened to any of us," Barajas’ friend Anna Messina told KRON.
Messina said Barajas became sick days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose and made for herself at home.
"She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator," Messina said.
"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," she added.
Messina said Barajas was infected by Vibrio vulnificus -- a lethal bacterial infection.
As per CDC, about 150-200 cases of the infections are reported each year and about one in five people with the infection die -- sometimes within one to two days of becoming ill.
"The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something that’s contaminated with it 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 was quoted as saying.
