Family suffers food poisoning from consuming raw crab
A 65-year-old woman in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, suffered more than 20 bouts of diarrhoea and went into septic shock after eating homemade raw marinated crab earlier this month.
According to Chinese media, the woman’s husband and son also developed food poisoning after eating the dish on 6 Sept.
Though their symptoms were less severe, they were also taken to the hospital.
Woman goes into septic schock
Reports stated that when the woman arrived at the hospital, she was pale, dazed, and too weak to even lift her hand.
Source: QQ News
Doctors later found that an infection has caused her body to go into septic shock, a life-threatening condition where blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level.
Blood tests confirmed the culprit was Salmonella, a bacterium commonly found in uncooked crabs and shellfish.
Source: Saveur. Image for illustration purposes only.
Once inside the intestines, the bacteria can multiply rapidly, damage intestinal tissue, and enter the bloodstream, causing a systemic infection.
Besides Salmonella, raw marinated seafood may also carry Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous bacterium that may cause blood poisoning and a severe skin or soft tissue infection.
Experts further warned that raw crab may contain parasites such as liver flukes, lung flukes, and Anisakis worms, which can trigger anything from gastrointestinal discomfort to life-threatening illness.
Doctors advise against homemade raw seafood
Medical experts stressed that high-risk groups, including patients with liver disease or diabetes, people with weakened immune systems, children, pregnant women, and the elderly, should avoid eating raw seafood altogether.
They advise cooking seafood thoroughly, but recommended going to licensed restaurants if there is still a desire to try raw dishes.
The 65-year-old woman has been discharged following intensive treatment at the hospital.
While her husband was similarly hospitalised with severe abdominal pain, the son’s condition was milder and relieved with medication, doctors said.
Also read: Doctors in China find 18cm parasite in man’s brain after his vision deteriotes to seeing ‘mosaic’
Doctors in China find 18cm parasite in man’s brain after his vision deteriotes to seeing ‘mosaic’
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Featured image adapted from QQ News and Saveur, for illustrative purposes only.
