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An unidentified man from Missouri developed a rare infection that caused swollen lesions to develop on the side of his face — and doctors believe it originated from his pet cat.
While the lesions were progressively painful, the man endured them for weeks until he came down with a week-long fever that finally prompted him to seek medical treatment. Doctors at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis believe the man initially caught the disease from his outdoor cat, who died just two days before his symptoms appeared. The lumps on the man’s neck were actually the man’s enlarged lymph nodes, which swelled up as the bacterium entered his body.
The New England Journal of Medicine ©2018.
“Domestic cats can become infected through the consumption of infected prey and can transmit the bacteria to humans,” theJournalreports.
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, humans can catch the bacterium when they handle an infected animal or drink contaminated water. Interestingly enough, the bacteria can also be passed to humans through the air, which can occur during landscaping activities, such as when a tractor or lawnmower runs over an infected animal.
Rabbits and rodents are especially susceptible to the bacteria, which can cause them to die off in large numbers when an outbreak occurs.
Symptoms can appear anywhere between three and five days to two weeks after a person is infected,Mayo Clinicsays. Signs of the disease include swollen and painful lymph glands, fevers, chills, headaches and exhaustion.
Fortunately, the man was treated with doxycycline, an antibiotic, and made a full recovery within four weeks. His case now serves as a reminder of immediately seeking medical attention when unfamiliar symptoms appear.
source: people.com
