An American man loses his hands and feet after catching the disease of a dog 'kiss'

An American has lost his hands, feet and parts of his arms and legs due to a rare blood infection transmitted by the saliva of a dog.
Greg Manteufel, 48, from Wisconsin, has undergone at least 10 surgeries during which doctors have amputated portions of each of his limbs due to closure of the circulation at the extremities due to infection.
The loss of circulation has also almost taken its nose and upper lip and will require reconstructive surgery in stages over the next year.
Mr. Manteufel was released two weeks ago from Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Last week, his doctors praised him for his positive attitude and determination to walk again with prostheses.
"Through all this, the real star of the show is Greg. He had the most positive attitude among all the patients I've ever met and he addressed the problem with a fight that I do not think I saw in any patient, "said Dr. Patrick Hettinger , plastic surgeon, at a press conference.
Manteufel, who worked as a house painter before his illness, began to feel sick on June 26 with fever and leg pain.
When he was finally taken to the hospital, the doctors discovered that he had contracted a rare blood infection caused by the bacterium Capnocytophaga, present in the saliva of cats and dogs, but almost never causing disease.
Manteufel has a dog, but doctors do not know if it's his pet or another dog that has transmitted the infection to him.
"I just could not believe it," Manteufel told the press. "I have always rubbed shoulders with dogs. It's hard to take, you know?
The horrible ordeal of Manteufel has not changed his love of animals.
His wife, Dawn Manteufel, said that one of the first things their dog did when her husband came home was snuggling against him to watch the Green Bay Packers American football team.
"I still love dogs," he says.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 74% of dogs and up to 57% of cats carry the bacteria.
People also have a different strain of the same bacteria in their mouths.
However, CDCs do not monitor the number of capnocytophaga infections because they are so rare.
Manteufel still has a long way to go with his recovery.
His prostheses will also be adjusted in stages as his skin and wounds begin to heal, said Dr. David Del Toro, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the hospital.
Manteufel said that his main goal was to walk and drive again "so that I can get my life back, not just get stuck somewhere."
Del Toro said that he did not doubt that he would achieve it.
"No one has Greg's determination. I believe that he will achieve all his goals, it will take a long way, "said Del Toro.
-With AAP