A 48-year-old man from Wisconsin lost all four limbs to amputation after contracting a rare blood infection that he most likely got from his own dog.
The infection is a very rare one, with over 99 percent of people who own dogs never experiencing the problem. Unfortunately, the man is among the unlucky ones, and he paid an enormous price for it.
Man Loses Limbs Due To Capnocytophaga
Greg Manteufel, a dog lover who had a history of good health, found himself in the emergency room last month, thinking that he was just down with the flu.
However, it was something far more sinister. Manteufel contracted an infection from bacteria known as capnocytophaga, which is found in the saliva of dogs. The bacteria, which may lead to severe infections in people who have weakened immune systems, is spread through close contact or bites from dogs that carry it.
Manteufel's body reacted aggressively to the infection, which may result in blisters, redness or swelling, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, fever, and headaches.
"It hit him with a vengeance," said Mantefuel's wife, Dawn. "Just bruising all over him. Looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat."
Manteufel's body responded to the capnocytophaga infection with a rapid drop in blood pressure, causing circulation in his limbs to quickly decline. After a week, doctors started amputating his legs, followed by more surgeries to remove parts of his hand, and then half of both his forearms.
Manteufel, however, has not lost his spirit throughout the ordeal.
"That's all he kept saying to the doctors -- 'take what you need but keep me alive.' And they did it. Surprisingly enough, they did do it," his wife Dawn said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Manteufel's family, which was already near at $25,000 goal at the time of writing. In addition to the expensive amputation surgery, the money will be used to conduct extensive repairs on his nose, which was also affected by the bacteria and sepsis.
No Need To Avoid Dogs
Manteufel's case is a very rare one, so people should not stay away from dogs after discovering his bout with capnocytophaga infection.
Dogs will always be man's best friend, and a recent study identified specific gestures that are used by dogs to communicate with humans. Fat dogs have even given scientists more insight on obesity, specifically on how dogs may be used as models for future research on the causes and psychological impact of the condition.
