Be careful storing cooked pasta and rice. After eating rice, chicken and lo mein leftovers from a restaurant, a 19-year-old college student was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of the Massachusetts General Hospital suffering from shock, multiple organ failure, and rash, according to The New England Journal of Medicine.
Soon after he ate the meal, he felt abdominal pain and his skin turned a shade of purple, says USA Today. Hours later, he was admitted to the hospital and his condition declined. His blood pressure soared, and his breathing become abnormal. He vomited several times. During his hospital stay, his condition deteriorated, and he developed necrosis, the death of tissue and cells. Doctors had to amputate his legs and parts of all of his ten fingers. He also received a pacemaker for 13 days to treat his cardiac dysfunction
The student was diagnosed with meningococcal purpura fulminans disease, a rare complication caused by bacteria, which triggered his stiff neck, nausea, respiratory collapse, shock, and organ failure. Improperly stored rice and pasta can contain bacteria called Bacillus cereus. These bacteria produce a toxin when heated and left out too long. In 2008, a teenager died in his sleep after consuming leftover pasta that was not refrigerated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meningococcal disease is “very serious and can be deadly in a matter of hours.” Even with antibiotic treatment, 10 to 15 in 100 people with meningococcal disease will die. Up to one in five will have long-term disabilities such as loss of limbs, deafness, nervous system problems and brain damage.
The CDC says that keeping up to date with the recommended vaccines is the best protection against meningococcal illness. Maintaining healthy habits, like getting plenty of rest, also helps. There are two types of vaccines licensed in the U.S. One is the meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccine and the other is the Serogroup B meningococcal (MEDB) vaccine. Both these shots help protect against bacteria most seen in the U.S., But, like other vaccines, the CDC says they are not 100% effective.
The Massachusetts college student is said to have had a first dose of the meningococcal vaccine but never received the recommended booster, according to USA Today. His roommate also ate the leftover food and vomited but did not suffer the same life-threatening reaction.
To reduce your risk, learn how to properly store leftovers, here.