Some people simply prefer to avoid leftovers and cook completely new foods despite having a fridge full of take-out containers and Tupperwares leftovers from days gone by, while for others, leftovers are an opportunity to save money and optimize time.
However, if you are fan of reheating, you should know that, like everything else in life, eating certain foods, particularly leftovers from previous days, carries risks such as bacteria-borne diseases that can jeopardize your health and well-being.
Unfortunately, this was the case for a 19-year-old student from New England, United States, who, after eating his roommate’s leftover Chinese food, contracted a bacterial infection that led to the amputation of both legs and fingers, as well as an organic failure.
The unusual case was first reported in the scientific journal New England Journal of Medicine, in March 2021. However, given the degree of strangeness, it has not stopped circulating on the network, causing the astonishment of Internet users.
According to him Daily Star, the young man, identified only as JC, ate a plate of chicken, rice and noodles that his friend bought from a restaurant the night before and immediately fell ill.
The student started with an extremely high temperature, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. In addition, he experienced blurred vision, a stiff neck, shortness of breath, chest pain, and his heart rate increased to 166 beats per minute, at which time he was rushed to the hospital.
According to the medical report, JC had no allergies, had all his childhood vaccinations, and rarely consumed alcohol. Later, it was confirmed that the student was suffering from an aggressive bacterial infection that caused his kidneys to fail and his blood to clot.
The results showed that it was something called Neisseria meningitidiscommonly referred to as meningococcus, a gram-negative bacterium that can cause meningitis and a life-threatening type of sepsis, among other forms of meningococcal disease.
The tissue of the fingers developed gangrene, as did the legs, which led to their amputation. According to researchers from NEJMJC’s friend who ate the same leftovers vomited once, but did not become seriously ill.
The incident was described by experts as “extremely strange”. Fortunately, JC managed to survive the ordeal that completely changed her life.