A local man, who had his right hand stabbed by a fish’s fin when angling on the waterfront opposite Avenida Cinco de Outubro in Coloane at 5 a.m. on Monday, has been admitted to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre due to infection with the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, according to a statement by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday.
The statement said that the patient, who has a history of cerebrovascular disease, sought treatment at the public hospital’s emergency department at about 5 p.m. that day after his wound became swollen, adding that the patient was diagnosed with vibriosis (infection by bacteria of the genus Vibrio) yesterday.
The statement underlined that the patient was in stable condition yesterday. It added that the swelling of his right hand has already subsided.
The statement pointed out that the patient was used to fishing in that place, but no similar incident had occurred in the past.
In the statement, the Health Bureau urged members of the public to take precautions against Vibrio vulnificus infection, including keeping their wounds or cracked skin away from seawater, while cleaning and properly bandaging the wounds, thoroughly cooking seafood, especially shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels, and visiting a doctor promptly if any signs of infection, such as skin redness, swelling, pain and suppuration (decay in tissue producing pus), develop.
The statement stressed that those whose wounds have been in contact with Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacterium that exists in coastal waters, may require amputation to save their lives after catching necrotising fasciitis (NF), while those who have consumed Vibrio vulnificus contaminated seafood may suffer symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The statement added that chronic disease, especially liver disease and diabetes patients, may develop sepsis, along with fever, chills, drop in blood pressure, skin blisters, and even death.
Sepsis is a serious medical condition in which the whole body is inflamed, causing injury to its own tissues and organs as a response to infection.
Image courtesy of histopathology-india.net
