By Susan Scutti, CNN
Updated at 9:04 PM ET, Thu August 30, 2018
(CNN) — Raw fish, such as sushi, and other uncooked seafood may be delicious, but they also may be dangerous — even life-threatening — if prepared inexpertly.
The man had a history of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and he was undergoing dialysis for end-stage renal (kidney) disease. The illness developed within 12 hours of his meal and led to fever and excruciating pain in his left hand.
By the time he reached the hospital, a blood-filled cavity measuring 3.5 by 4.5 centimeters (about 1.5 by 2 inches) had developed on the palm of his left hand, while on the top of his hand and forearm, there was a swelling cavity under the skin.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that these bacteria cause 205 infections each year nationwide. Some cases require amputations, and 15% to 30% of cases are fatal, according to the agency.
After surgery, the man received two powerful antibiotics intravenously. However, the drugs did not keep his skin lesions from worsening, and doctors performed an amputation of his left forearm 25 days after his arrival at the ER.
“The patient did well after the surgery and was discharged home,” the authors of his case report concluded.
The man’s hand and arm were swollen by the time he reached the ER.
mputation certainly ranks among the most hair-raising possibilities that can occur after you eat raw fish, other dangers lurk in raw or poorly cooked meals, as well.
Parasites
Anisakiasis results from eating fish or seafood contaminated with that parasite.
When the worms invade the stomach wall or intestines, the result is gastrointestinal pain, nausea and vomiting, according to the CDC. Some people develop complications, including digestive bleeding, bowel obstruction and peritonitis (an inflammation of the inner wall of the abdomen). Other people may experience an allergic reaction, including swelling, skin rash or even anaphylaxis, which can cause difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness.
However, in recent years, other parts of the globe have begun to see a rise in anisakiasis illness, according to the CDC, though the agency estimates that only a case or two are reported in the US each year.
Salmonella
Symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps usually develop within 72 hours after infection, and illness generally lasts four to seven days. Though most people recover from a salmonella infection without treatment, some patients experience such severe diarrhea that they need to be hospitalized.