Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Capnocytophaga canimorsus meningitis in a 38-year-old immunocompetent woman from household pet exposure.
- Journal:
- The American journal of emergency medicine
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Fennell, Adam G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine/USF · United States
Plain-English summary
A 38-year-old woman, who was otherwise healthy, went to the emergency room because she had been feeling unwell for several days with cold-like symptoms and a headache. After some initial treatment, she went home but returned a few hours later because her symptoms got worse, and she started vomiting, feeling confused, and experiencing hearing loss. Tests showed she had an infection caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a type of bacteria that can be found in the saliva of dogs and cats, which she realized was due to being scratched and licked by her pets. She was treated with steroids and antibiotics and was sent home afterward.
Abstract
A 38-year-old otherwise healthy woman with no history of immunocompromise, recent travel, or concerning exposures presented to the ED with several days of nonspecific cold-like symptoms with associated generalized headache. After the patient was symptomatically treated and discharged, she returned several hours later with worsening of symptoms and new vomiting, confusion, and sensorineural hearing loss. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures eventually returned positive for a Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection, a bacterial pathogen found in the saliva of dogs and cats. Only after that, the patient recalled being scratched and licked by her pets, two dogs and a cat. She was treated with a course of systemic steroids, antibiotics and discharged home.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35365375/