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A 57-year-old man from Hanoi had a third of his right arm removed following an infection with Vibrio vulnificus, often referred to as “flesh-eating bacteria,” according to medical professionals at Military Hospital 103.

The man was hospitalized in a critical state a few days ago following the onset of a high fever and pain in his right thumb, which quickly spread throughout his entire hand, said Dinh Van Ba from the hospital’s internal medicine intensive care unit.

Physicians determined he was suffering from critical septic shock accompanied by a soft tissue infection.

The patient had a medical history including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and chronic gout, which heighten susceptibility to the bacterium.

Surgeons needed to remove the dead tissue from the limb to prevent the infection from spreading, put him on a ventilator, gave powerful antibiotics, and carried out ongoing blood filtration.

His condition has stabilized.

Blood tests confirmed the presence of Vibrio vulnificus, but the method by which he became infected is still unclear.

The bacterium is found naturally in saltwater and brackish environments, and grows well in warm water during the summer season. It can enter the body through open wounds or via the digestive system when individuals consume undercooked seafood, especially raw oysters.

Inside, it rapidly damages tissue, leading to cell death and septic shock.

As reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of every five individuals who contract V. vulnificus succumb to the infection, often within a day or two of becoming sick.

Individuals suffering from liver conditions, diabetes, weakened immunity, iron accumulation diseases like thalassemia, or those using medications that lower stomach acid are most vulnerable to serious health complications.

Physicians recommended that individuals cook all seafood completely and refrain from eating raw shellfish.

Individuals experiencing quick-onset redness, swelling, severe pain, or darkened skin near a wound, or those who develop a fever following exposure to seawater or uncooked seafood, should promptly obtain urgent medical attention.