Your Voice: ‘Flesh-eating’ bacteria from seafood spread due to climate change; Hong Kong’s new medical school (long letters)

Macau’s Patane Market is your run-of-the-mill wet market, from the familiar glistening scales of seafood under glowing red lights to the percussive rhythm of knives against cutting boards. In short, it’s hardly the place you’d expect to experience a brush with death. Reality, however, has little regard for aesthetics.

On November 11, a woman shopping for seafood at Patane Market felt a sharp pain in her finger – she had accidentally stabbed herself on a fish fin. Hours later, she was admitted to the Conde S. Januario Hospital. She had been infected with the potentially deadly “flesh-eating” bacteria Vibrio vulnificus: a distant, yet equally dangerous, cousin of the notorious V. cholerae.

Since October, there have been at least four reported cases of people in Macau contracting Vibrio vulnificus.

More worryingly, recent research has shown that climate change and human activity are causing this once-rare disease to become more common.

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According to Dr Geoffrey Scott, chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina, this bacteria, often contracted through exposing open wounds to seawater or marine life, is no small fish.

“The Vibrio are one of the most adaptable microbes family. And the vulnificus is probably the strain of the Vibrio family that’s most deadly,” he said. “In the United States, it’s the leading cause of death from seafood consumption. The Vibrio, we estimate, cause an estimated number of ... 80,000 cases per year in the US.”

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio vulnificus infections often lead to “intensive care and limb amputations” and around 20 per cent of victims die, sometimes within days. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association network, those who survive must contend with symptoms including diarrhoea, tissue destruction, vomiting, fever and blisters, which could last for days.

As per Scott, climate change is causing these cases to become more common. “With a one- to three-foot sea level rise, we see a 230 per cent increase in the optimal growth conditions for Vibrios,” he said.

Research published in the Nature Scientific Journal in March found that Vibrio vulnificus infections in eastern parts of the United States increased eightfold between 1988 and 2018, while the geographic range where cases occurred also expanded to higher latitudes. According to the article, this was due to climate change creating warmer conditions for Vibrio vulnificus to thrive.

Another factor is sewage discharge in the oceans. A 2021 research paper published in the Microbiology Spectrum Journal found that a one per cent increase in sewage concentrations in water led to an increase in Vibrio vulnificus by a factor of up to 1,000, while also making its infections more lethal.

The American Academy of Family Physicians warns that people with chronic diseases, diabetes, or liver disease are particularly at risk of severe Vibrio vulnificus infections. With almost a third of Hong Kong residents having been diagnosed with chronic diseases, and seafood being a popular choice of cuisine in East Asia, the growing prevalence of Vibrio vulnificus is particularly threatening.

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Georgia Sit, Pope Paul VI College

I firmly believe that the addition of a new medical school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will bring substantial benefits to both the healthcare sector and the overall well-being of the Hong Kong population.

Firstly, the current shortage of doctors in Hong Kong has strained the existing healthcare system, resulting in longer waiting times, limited access to specialised care, and an increased burden on healthcare professionals. By establishing a new medical school, we can address this shortage by increasing the number of locally trained doctors.

Moreover, a new medical school in Hong Kong will provide opportunities for aspiring medical students to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors without having to study abroad. Currently, many talented students are forced to seek medical education overseas due to limited spots in local medical schools. By expanding the availability of medical education within the city, we can retain these exceptional individuals and nurture their talent, ultimately benefiting the local healthcare system.

We also have to take into consideration the contribution a new medical school would have to the advancement of medical research and innovation in Hong Kong. These institutions often serve as hubs for groundbreaking research, attracting brilliant minds and promoting collaboration among researchers, clinicians and students. This will position Hong Kong as a centre of medical excellence.

Jaime Wong, Victoria Shanghai Academy

We saw a migrant crisis in Europe recently following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021, as thousands of Afghans fled their country’s deteriorating security situation. This has highlighted the urgent need for countries to address immigration challenges in a comprehensive and humanitarian manner.

We can look back in history to understand how other places have addressed immigration challenges.

One example of a failed measure to address this is California Proposition 187, a controversial ballot proposition in the US state of California in 1994. It aimed to deny public services to undocumented or illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants are individuals who enter or reside in a country without proper legal authorisation. They have crossed international borders or overstayed their visas, violating the immigration laws of the destination country.

Though it faced legal challenges and was largely invalidated, studying California Proposition 187 is important because it provides valuable insights into immigration policy, human rights, and social cohesion. Exclusionary policies like this exacerbate inequalities, strain international relations, and have humanitarian consequences.

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Under the measure in California, no person could have received social services unless they had been verified as a United States citizen or were legally allowed entry as a permanent or temporary resident. This law was meant to target Mexicans.

There is a need to address the root causes of undocumented immigration. California’s Proposition 187 failed to recognise the complex reasons why individuals leave their home countries, such as economic instability and violence. Understanding these factors helps countries develop holistic strategies to address migration.

While countries have the right to protect their borders, policies that discriminate against vulnerable populations undermine fundamental human rights principles. They erode the core values essential for the protection of all individuals.

Instead, we should encourage inclusive societies that promote social cohesion and integration. All countries must emphasise compassionate approaches to immigration that balances national interests with human rights and global cooperation.