A 48-year-old UK man bitten by a stray cat ended up contracting a soft tissue infection caused by a bacterium that to date had never been described, a new study has revealed.
In the case report, recently published in the magazine Emerging Infectious Diseases, describes how, in 2020, the man presented to the emergency department with swelling in his hands and multiple puncture wounds and abrasions.
eight hours before a wild cat had bitten him several times. Doctors cleaned and bandaged the man’s wounds, gave him a tetanus shot and gave him antibiotics.
However, the next day, he returned to the hospital with painful swelling on the little and middle fingers of his left hand, as well as redness and swelling on both forearms. Once again, the wounds were thoroughly cleaned, damaged tissue was removed surgically, and intravenous antibiotics were administered. This time, fortunately, after five days of oral antibiotics, she made a full recovery.
Back at the hospital, doctors, including those at Cambridge University Hospitals, UK, were busy trying to figure out what had happened. When they analyzed the microorganisms present in the samples from his wounds, using genome sequencing and biochemical profiling, they found an unrecognizable organism that had never been seen before.
Initially, when the researchers analyzed the infection swabs, it resembled the Streptococcus, a bacterium related to various diseases such as pharyngitis and conjunctivitis. However, genome analysis showed that this bacterium was completely new and belonged to the genus of gram-positive bacteria called Globicatella.
Warning to the public about cat bites
Due to its resistance to many conventional antibiotics, the G. sulfidifaciens presents a challenge for its complete eradication in the body. Fortunately, the new variant identified in the UK has shown a positive response to certain antibiotics, providing a glimmer of hope. However, this situation underscores an important warning for the general public.
“This report highlights the role of cats as reservoirs of bacterial species throughyet to be discovered with pathogenic potential for humans”, write the authors of the study.
Experts noted that cat bites can cause deep wounds and there is a high risk of secondary infection due to direct inoculation of saliva.
“In conclusion, cat bites are common sources of zoonotic infection,” they continue. Cats have previously been linked to numerous bacterial infections, including pneumonic plague, and are also known to spread other parasites, such as the brain-disrupting Toxoplasma gondii.
It is recommended people to immediately wash cat bite wounds with soap or salt and seek medical attention without delay.
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2023-08-14 04:46:48
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