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WEST BEND – By the time Greg Manteufel, 48, arrived at the hospital at the end of June, "my face was all red and blue and he started to run on the rest of my body," did he declare.
"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 his body's response – has caused surgeons to amputate parts of his nose and limbs, including his hands and feet.
"Do everything you can to save my life," Manteufel recalls as he talks to his doctors at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee.
The type of bacteria, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, is "a completely normal flora of the dog's mouth and usually does not cause serious illness. However, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong patient … this can lead to serious infections – but very, very rarely, "said Dr. Stephen Cole, professor of veterinary microbiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Drug. Cole was not involved in Manteufel's care.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when bacteria spread to humans, they bite, scratch, or have close contact with dogs and cats.
In rare cases, patients such as Manteufel may develop sepsis. They may also develop a complication, as it did, known as disseminated intravascular coagulation. In this disorder, small blood clots form quickly and can then clog the blood vessels and block normal circulation.
"The infection has resorbed fairly quickly" with antibiotics, said Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price, an infectious disease specialist who has treated Manteufel at Froedtert Hospital. "However, on the road, he developed poor blood circulation, poor circulation in his arms and legs.
"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 they could not save his arms and legs. What they did not know was how a healthy 48-year-old man was infected in the first place.
Those most at risk are people whose immune systems are weakened, such as cancer patients and people whose spleen has been removed, according to the CDC.
"I've been basically [the] the healthiest person in the world right now, "Manteufel said. "They said 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 that 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 any problems with pet-related infections," Munoz-Price said. .
Cole agreed: "Whenever your dog licks you can come into contact with this bacteria, but the vast, vast, vast majority of times cause absolutely no problem.
According to the CDC, Capnocytophaga bacteria were detected in 74% of dogs.
C. canimorsus is not on the CDC list of notifiable diseases, and experts say it is difficult to determine the number of these diseases. A 2015 report found that fewer than 500 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported since 1961, although the bacterium was not officially designated as a new species until 1989.
Munoz-Price said that she believed that aggressive infections such as Manteufel were much more likely to be caused by bacteria that already live in humans, not 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."
That means practicing good hygiene with your pets, said Cole, including not letting animals lick wounds or open wounds, washing their hands and asking for proper medical care for the bites.
"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 to get prosthetic limbs, and doctors will use cartilage from other parts of his body to repair his nose.
He has also worked with rehabilitation specialists to learn how to adapt to his new life. A GoFundMe page has also been created to help reduce costs.
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 they were 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 have to keep looking forward and hope that I will 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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