San Jose Mother Loses All Four Limbs After Contracting Flesh-Eating Bacteria From Undercooked Fish

Laura Barajas, a San Jose, California, mom, underwent a quadruple amputation after contracting a flesh-eating bacterial infection that may have come from undercooked fish.

The 40-year-old mother cooked and ate tilapia that she purchased from a local fish market and immediately fell ill. She was diagnosed with Vibrio vulnificus, which according to the CDC, can cause an infection called necrotizing fasciitis.

Humans generally contract the Vibrio bacteria by eating undercooked seafood, though any instance of an open wound coming in contact with the bacteria could lead to infection.

“She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator,” told friend Anna Messina to KRON-4. “They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black and her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing.”

Barajas, who has a 6-year-old son, spent a month in the hospital before receiving a quadruple amputation. She has been receiving follow-up care since the procedure.

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“One in five people with this infection die — sometimes within 1-2 days of becoming ill,” the CDC warns.