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Initially, doctors thought she may have had a minor stroke, and her symptoms were improving. But after a few days in the hospital, she took a turn for the worse. She developed a headache, high fever, chills, diarrhea, sudden kidney failure, and severe sepsis—a complication of some infections that can lead to death.
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As it turns out, a blood test revealed she had a bacterial infection called Capnocytophaga canimorsus, which is normally found in the mouths of dogs and cats.
Typically, doctors see this type of infection in humans after getting a bite or a scratch that breaks the skin, but this woman’s case shows that the skin doesn’t have to be broken in order to get an infection from your pet.
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So do we all need to stop making out with our pooches? Nope. (Cue sigh of relief.) Although C. canimorsus is a totally normal part of your pet’s saliva, this type of infection is super-rare in humans, says Stephen Cole, doctor of veterinary medicine and fellow in clinical and molecular microbiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Like almost all infections, the very young and very old tend to be more at risk, which might be why the woman in this case was particularly vulnerable. If you’re healthy, this isn’t really something you need to stress about.
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“The important thing to remember is that all animals carry bacteria, so you should always be practicing good hygiene when you’re handling them,” says Cole. This means washing your hands, keeping them from sneaking food off of your plate (we know, easier said than done), and watching to make sure they don’t lick any open wounds. Down, Fido!
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