A 70-year-old woman was found, alone, slumped half-conscious in her home by paramedics. They took her to the hospital, where her symptoms improved – but only temporarily.
Four days later, she had acute kidney failure and had to be admitted to intensive care.
Her blood tests revealed that she had been infected by Capnocytophaga canimorsus, bacteria commonly found in the mouths of dogs and cats, and had developed sepsis.
It took another two weeks of staying in the intensive care unit, as well as antibiotic treatment, for her condition to improve enough so she could return home.
Although sepsis caused by infections of this particular strain of bacteria is common, the doctors were puzzled by this case because the woman hadn’t been bitten or scratched by her pet, a large Italian greyhound.
As it turns out, these bacteria are not only transmitted through open wounds. Dogs and cats can also transmit these bacteria to their owners through licks and sheer proximity. The woman, the doctors discovered, often let her dog lick her and petted it closely.
Doctors and health experts have said this before, but now they’re taking time to emphasize it: it’s not safe to let your pet give you kisses, regardless of how much you love it. The Capnocytophaga canimorsus bacteria present in their bodies can be dangerous to humans, particularly those with weaker immune systems, like the young or the elderly.
Experts believe that the government and other health systems should dedicate more efforts in talking about the seriousness of this potential infection and continue warning pet owners against keeping their pets so close to their side.
