Woman dies after being bitten by crawfish

A 70-year-old woman in Huzhou city of Zhejiang province died after being bitten by crawfish, Zhejiang-based Morning Express reported.

The woman, surnamed Ye, was bitten on her finger one morning last weekend. Bleeding from the injury soon ended and the wound appeared normal, but became swollen that night. The next morning the woman had a high fever and went into a coma. She was sent to a Hangzhou hospital on Wednesday for emergency treatment but died.

Tao Chengjun, a doctor who treated Ye, said she died of anaerobic bacteria and was very likely infected by the crawfish. But he said whether a person will be infected with the bacteria by a bite from lobsters depends on their immunity. Ye already had heart disease, high blood pressure and liver disease, all of which caused low immunity.

Tao added that the crawfish itself is innocuous, and the bacteria can be killed if the crawfish is well cleaned and cooked.