A California mother has suffered the loss of all four limbs after contracting a bacterial infection from undercooked Tilapia fish.
Laura Barajas, 40, underwent life-saving amputation surgery on Thursday after a months-long stay in hospital battling the terrible infection.
Barajas, mother to a six-year-old boy, became sick in late July days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose and made for herself at home, a friend revealed to News 19.
‘It’s just been really heavy on all of us. It’s terrible. This could’ve happened to any of us,’ said Barajas’ friend Anna Messina told the outlet.
‘She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator,’ Messina said.
Laura Barajas, 40, underwent life-saving amputation surgery on Thursday after a months-long stay in hospital battling the terrible infection
Barajas, mother to a six-year-old boy, became sick in late July days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose
The infection is believed to have emanated from the Tilapia fish
‘They put her into a medically induced coma’ she explained.
‘Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing.’
The infection is believed to have been caused by vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning about.
‘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 exaplined.
About 150-200 cases of the infections are reported each year and around one in five people with the infection die, the CDC said.
The bacteria is especially concerning for people who are immunocompromised, according to Spottiswoode.
‘People should take sensible precautions like if you have a cut avoid getting immersed in water until it’s well healed,’ Spottiswoode said.
‘If you are someone immunocompromised keeping an eye on these things and avoiding those high-risk activities and foods.’
Barajas’ partner of eight year Jose Valdez (right) has been by her side through the ordeal her friends say
Barajas, now a quadruple amputee, is mother to a six-year-old boy named Gael
‘Be thankful for what we have right now because it can be taken away so quickly so easily,’ Messina added.
Messina has set up a GoFundMe page to help her friend cover her medical costs and ongoing care needs. ‘
‘This family is in desperate need of our help. While Jose has health benefits through his work, it remains uncertain whether they will cover Laura, his partner of eight years’ Messina wrote on the page, which has raised more than $26,000 so far.
‘Jose’s paid time off (PTO) has been exhausted, and the Family Disability program provides only 60% of his normal income.
‘The mounting hospital bills are overwhelming, and Laura’s physical condition will necessitate significant changes to their lives as they adapt to her new circumstances’ she added.
