The weather is getting hotter and is about to enter May, and all kinds of boiled seafood are slowly appearing in food stalls and markets, and many people are ready to eat with their bellies open. However, when handling seafood, you must be careful.
Recently, a two-year-old boy in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, came into contact with fish when he followed his grandmother to the vegetable market, was infected with Vibrio vulnificus, and spent 80,000 yuan in hospital for 5 days. The topic is on the hot search, causing people's attention.
According to the description of the child's father, Mr. Chen: "The grandmother took the child to the market to buy vegetables, and when the child saw the fish, she asked the grandmother to buy it for him. ”
After a doctor's diagnosis, the boy was diagnosed with Vibrio vulnificus infection. It may be that the boy accidentally came into contact with the bacteria on the fish, which led to the infection.
The child is still in the intensive care unit and is facing amputation of his right foot, and the hospital is still trying its best to treat him. Mr. Chen said that he felt guilty for not taking good care of the child.
Seeing this news, many netizens expressed their hope that the child would recover soon.
@风吹过蓝蓝的天: I hope that the child can be safe and recover soon, and for such a young child, I hope that there will be no amputation.
@文刀工坊: I hope to keep my feet, the child is too young.
@曼妮LJP: I hope the baby is safe and keeps his leg, he still has a long way to go.
Some netizens also said that it may be that when carrying the bag, the fish pierced the child's calf.
@灰妮_插画: It is possible that the child is carrying a fish, and the fin is pierced into the baby's calf and causes infection, and the fins in the bag sometimes pierce the bag and are exposed. Hope baby recovers soon!
@一颗茱萸寄相思: I was pricked, my relatives were also carrying fish, and they were pricked by the tail of the fish, and they were swollen for a long time.
Some netizens said that they also had a similar experience and must be careful when handling seafood and fish.
@蓝子003: You have to be careful when handling seafood, I was pricked by the shrimp I often eat, and my hand was swollen all afternoon.
@大狗松松爱桃子: There was an uncle who was pricked when he was handling shrimp, and his hand was amputated in the end.
@My Yang Maomao: You should also pay attention to handling fish, my husband's uncle bought a sea fish the year before last and was pricked by a thorn when he was dealing with it, and he was hospitalized for more than a week, and his fingers and arms were swollen.
How dangerous is Vibrio vulnificus?
In July 2023, a man in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, lost a finger because of a tilapia. It turned out that the man was accidentally stabbed in the finger by a tilapia bone, and he did not seek medical attention until he felt unwell, and it had been more than 40 hours since he was injured!
The doctor found that the man's middle finger was black, the joint position of the palm was swollen, and the whole hand was red and swollen. More dangerously, the man also developed septic shock.
In order to save the man's life, the doctor had to amputate the necrotic finger. After examination, the doctor confirmed that the man was infected with Vibrio vulnificus.
On April 20 this year, the Macao Health Bureau received a report of one case of Vibrio vulnificus infection.
It is reported that the patient is a 62-year-old male who is a Macao resident with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis. On April 15, he went to the hospital for treatment due to fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea and was hospitalized for treatment. The man had no obvious wounds in the physical examination, his condition deteriorated on the 16th, he showed symptoms of shock, and was later transferred to the intensive care unit for further treatment, and his blood culture showed Vibrio vulnificus, and his condition deteriorated and he died on the 17th, and was diagnosed with Vibrio vulnificus and septic shock.
The patient's family members who live with no similar symptoms had handled and consumed seafood at home before the onset of illness, and the family members said that they could not be sure whether the seafood was thoroughly cooked.
According to the First Hospital of Zhejiang University, "Vibrio vulnificus, also known as Marine Vibrio, is listed as one of the three major infectious diseases in humans along with Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio enteritidis." This bacterium is relatively rare but very dangerous and can be carried by marine organisms such as marine fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, sea urchins and more. Because of its strong toxicity, it is also known as the 'silent killer of the ocean'. A chief physician of the emergency department of the First Hospital of Zhejiang University said.
If infected by this bacteria, the bacteria will spread rapidly in the human body, and 50%~70% of patients will have skin muscle necrosis and sepsis within one to two days, which will cause multiple organ failure. Many patients will have amputations because of this, and the mortality rate of shock patients is as high as 50%~75%.
How can I prevent Vibrio vulnificus infection?
Doctors say that although this bacterium is dangerous, it is completely preventable. First of all, when handling seafood such as fish, shrimp and crabs, wear protective equipment such as gloves. Secondly, once accidentally pricked, rinse with water as soon as possible, squeeze out the blood in the wound, and after the hands are dry, apply iodophor for disinfection, and you can use some antibiotic ointment externally. Observe for a period of time, if the wound is obviously swollen, you should go to the hospital immediately, and tell the doctor that you have the experience of being pricked by fish, shrimp and crabs, so as to quickly locate and deal with the problem.
Studies have shown that people with chronic diseases such as alcoholic cirrhosis, underlying liver disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic renal failure, or alcoholism are at higher risk of infection, so these high-risk groups or people with weakened immunity are especially alarmed.
Sources: Guangdong CDC, Morning Post, First Hospital of Zhejiang University, CCTV Finance, Macau Daily