Man dies after being pricked by crab he was preparing for dinner

dpa German Press Agency Published: Wednesday March 21, 2007

Singapore- A man pricked by a live crab he was preparing
for dinner died 48 hours later in a rare case of flesh-eating
bacteria infection from seafood, a news report said Thursday.
Tan Boon Hock, 83, put a bandage on the small cut but began
vomiting and suffering diarrhoea hours later. He was rushed to the
Accident and Emergency Department of the National University
Hospital.

"The doctors told us that he had been infected by a rare flesh-
eating bacteria called Vibrio, and ... it was most likely that the
crab spread the bacteria to him," The Straits Times quoted son Tan
Aik Cheng as saying.

In a bid to prevent the virulent bacteria from spreading
throughout his body, doctors amputated the patient's arm, but it was
too late.

"The doctors called me on the morning of February 24 to tell me
that my father had been given the maximum dosage of antibiotics, but
he was not getting any better," Tan told the newspaper.

His father died that day, 48 hours after he was infected.

Doctors queried said that the Vibrio bacteria is potentially
lethal but rarely passed to humans. Apart from crabs, it can be found
on other seafood such as fish and prawns.

Cooking destroys the bacteria, making the seafood safe for
consumption.

Doctors advised people preparing meals to use tongs or gloves when
handling the live crabs. The claws should be brushed and washed with
water before cooking, they added.

© 2006 - dpa German Press Agency

Comment Here