How a Chihuahua Almost Cost a 71-Year-Old Spaniard His Life? 0 13

A dog “rewarded” its owner with a rare bacterium that caused pneumonia and sepsis. This case was reported by doctors at a hospital on the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands, Spain) in the journal Respiratory Medicine Case Reports.

A 71-year-old local resident, whose name has not been disclosed, was hospitalized with complaints of shortness of breath, cough, diarrhea, high fever, weakness, and chills that had lasted for a week. Before the onset of these symptoms, the man had felt relatively well, despite having type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He lived in a small town with his wife and beloved Chihuahua.

Blood tests showed a high level of inflammatory processes and impaired kidney function, while an X-ray revealed a dense opacity in the right lung. Doctors diagnosed him with “bacterial pneumonia complicated by septic shock.”

The patient’s severe condition was caused by the pathogenic bacterium Pasteurella multocida, which people can contract from pets and birds. Doctors suggested that the infection entered the man’s body through the dog’s saliva when it licked him.

The man spent 25 days in the hospital receiving treatment with various antibiotics. However, he developed lung necrosis. At one point, his condition became so critical that he was transferred to intensive care and placed on a ventilator. After being discharged, the patient required additional oxygen support at home. Nevertheless, six months later, he fully recovered.