(UnitedHeadlines.com) – Food is one of the pillars of survival. Without it, a human being can starve to death in as little as three weeks. That said, the very food we need to live can also be extremely dangerous, even life threatening. One college student recently learned a food safety lesson the hard way.
The New England Journal of Medicine posted about a 19-year-old college student who lost his legs and parts of all ten of his fingers. The YouTube channel Chubbyemu posted a video about the case that went viral, bringing attention back to how dangerous food can really be.
The student, identified as “JC” in the video, went to the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after eating leftover chicken, rice and lo mein. The bad food led to organ failure and a landslide of other issues.
Doctors conducted urine tests and found that JC had Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that can cause meningitis and shock. In this case, the infection led to necrosis and gangrene in its victim’s appendages. Doctors had no choice but to amputate the young man’s legs from the knees down and parts of his fingers.
JC’s unfortunate situation should serve as a reminder of why people should pay careful attention to food handling and safety. Always make sure to cook meals to the correct specifications and NEVER eat leftover food that hasn’t been properly refrigerated. Bacteria can quickly form on all kinds of food, even the ones people least expect. Always be sure to keep food in the fridge, and if something has been sitting out, or it doesn’t look or smell right, throw it away.
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