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"My arms, my chest, everything was changing color," said Manteufel of West Bend, Wisconsin.
Manteufel initially thought that he was suffering from a flu, but in his blood, doctors have discovered a type of bacteria that is normally found in the mouths of dogs and cats .
These bacteria rarely make humans sick, but Manteufel's infection – and the response of his body – has led the surgeons to amputate parts of his nose and limbs, including the hands and feet.
"Just do what you have to do to save my life," Manteufel recalls as he talks to his doctors at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
"And the blood flow was so low that he developed a process called gangrene." Basically, the tissue dies and turns blue, "said Munoz-Price, also an epidemiologist and professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The doctors knew that they could not save his arms and legs. What they did not know was how a healthy 48-year-old man could become infected in the first place.
"I've been basically [the] the healthiest person in the world right now, "Manteufel said. They said that I could have hit the lottery five times in a day before I should have this bacteria in my body. "
Munoz-Price said: "We are not sure how this has ended in her blood" and felt that she saw only a small handful of cases a year.
However, she added that "we assume that it was because of a dog's blow", because Manteufel had no obvious injuries and because he had been in contact with dogs, including his 8-year-old pit bull.
"We will probably never know," she said.
Should you be worried?
"I have a dog.Many people have dogs and most of us will never have a problem with pet-related infections," Munoz-Price said.
Cole agreed, "Whenever your dog licks you, you can come in contact with this bacteria, but the vast, vast, vast majority of times is absolutely no problem."
Munoz-Price said she saw aggressive infections like Manteufel much more commonly caused by bacteria that already live in humans, not in dogs or cats.
Cole says his benefits far outweigh the risks.
"We know that pets have health benefits in our lives," he said. "We know that they can make us happier and healthier as long as we approach it safely."
"I would hate anyone who thinks it's a reason to give up their pet," he said.
"I will always love dogs"
Manteufel still has a long way to go. After more than a dozen surgeries, he plans prosthetics and doctors will use cartilage from other parts of his body to repair his nose.
Manteufel does not remember much of his illness – "I was a bit out of it," he said.
"We were stunned even by some people who had this bacteria because it was so rare, and we have never heard of it," said his wife, Dawn. "We discovered that there were two people in Wisconsin alone with the same situation."
With his wife and son at his side, Manteufel strives to remain positive.
"I have to be strong for them and they are strong for me," he said. "I just have to keep looking forward and hope that I'll be better every day."
And he still has a soft spot for dogs, including his pit bull – which he says has not caused his infection. (She's not very licked, he says.)
"I can not stop loving dogs because it happened," he said. "I will always love dogs."
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