Doctors say man suffered attack from "flesh eating bacteria" after cat scratches

[webfact]

Doctors say man suffered attack from "flesh eating bacteria" after cat scratches

 

Picture: Video screenshot

 

PHUKET: -- A man who was scratched by a neighbor's cat nearly had to have his legs amputated after flesh eating bacteria infected the wounds.

 

A woman had posted the story and pictures of the man's legs on Facebook which caused a great stir among Thai netizens. The woman said that the victim waited for three days before going to hospital and was told that if he had delayed just two more days he would have needed amputation, reports Sanook.

 

As it is Weera, 63, will need to spend at least a month in Wachira Phuket hospital.

 

He suffered the scratches to his legs on the 16th and these became infected with bacteria that caused nacrotyzing pascilitis, said doctors at the hospital.

 

The Facebook poster advised all people scratched by cats to seek urgent treatment.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-01-24

 

[Get Real]

Honey, didn´t I always tell you that a dog is the way to go.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Not an isolated case. The one I know of was from a cat bite however, but also nearly cost the guy his leg.

[Get Real]

43 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Not an isolated case. The one I know of was from a cat bite however, but also nearly cost the guy his leg.

Know you know why the dog is called "mans best friend"! And the cat is called an unreliable stealth hunter.

[Crossy]

It's not just cat scratches, any minor break in the skin can be a route in for bacteria. I came within an ace of losing a toe last year from a similar infection caused by a tiny (minuscule even) friction blister.

 

Ten days of IV antibiotics every 8 hours later and the bugs finally succumbed.

 

I believe this is what he got. Warning graphic content. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2051157-overview

 

[dotpoom]

1 hour ago, Get Real said:

Honey, didn´t I always tell you that a dog is the way to go.

Hopefully the dog would be free of rabies?

[jacko45k]

As Crossy states,  any scratches could provide a route for this bacteria

Cats are getting much maligned... but a swim in the klong after an intense romantic experience, could also be dangerous!!

[khwaibah]

I won't post photos but my FL is going through this at the moment. It's real. He will likely lose two fingers on his left hand.

[Docno]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Hopefully the dog would be free of rabies?

You don't think cats get rabies?

[Docno]

Just remember - this condition is very serious, but also very rare: https://www.cdc.gov/features/necrotizingfasciitis/

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Hopefully the dog would be free of rabies?

All animals, including humans, can "give" you this.

A bite through the skin by a human, well, good luck.

And all animals including humans can have rabies.

 

Edited January 24, 2017 by hansnl

[citzofwrld]

16 hours ago, Get Real said:

Honey, didn´t I always tell you that a dog is the way to go.

Honey, did I tell you about the nice Thai guy that was feeding the soi dogs, was bitten by one, and died of rabies?

[Paul Laycock]

Well this story really cheers me up. I'm going to Ubon Ratchathani Government hospital on Friday with a badly infected foot. My local hospital says they can do no more. I can't think of any other options, already stayed in Mukdahan hospital but they released me the next day.

[Wildliferescue]

Please be advised that this infection is usually a result of inadequate care and cleaning of the wounds, or a very low resistance or immunity. It is not related to an animal carrying the bacteria. Cats or dogs are no carriers of this bacteria as for example rabies is carried by dogs or cats. 

Edited January 24, 2017 by Wildliferescue

[Get Real]

17 minutes ago, citzofwrld said:

Honey, did I tell you about the nice Thai guy that was feeding the soi dogs, was bitten by one, and died of rabies?

Sad story.

[Foozool]

Does this happen to people with low immunity ? Otherwise we all must be dead long time ago.

[toofarnorth]

Ok , time to sweep out the old cats and take in soi dogs.

[performance]

More bullshit spoken by Thai doctors. I want a second opinion please lol. I would never fly here for these people. Please give me a spell.

[steven100]

1 hour ago, Wildliferescue said:

Please be advised that this infection is usually a result of inadequate care and cleaning of the wounds, or a very low resistance or immunity. It is not related to an animal carrying the bacteria. Cats or dogs are no carriers of this bacteria as for example rabies is carried by dogs or cats. 

So after any bite by any dog or cat or any scratch from rusty metal or any scratch from concrete or similar while walking, the wound should always be washed with dettol or something the same and not just soap and water. ?

[cricketer]

I got this 6 years ago, 3 weeks in ICU and very close to death. Lost a leg but still kicking !!

[JHolmesJr]

4 hours ago, khwaibah said:

I won't post photos but my FL is going through this at the moment. It's real. He will likely lose two fingers on his left hand.

FL?

 

Foreign Lover? Faithful Leopard? 

[sandemara]

Boost in amulet sales ahead.

[fstarbkk]

2 hours ago, Wildliferescue said:

Please be advised that this infection is usually a result of inadequate care and cleaning of the wounds, or a very low resistance or immunity. It is not related to an animal carrying the bacteria. Cats or dogs are no carriers of this bacteria as for example rabies is carried by dogs or cats. 

Correct! In the majority of cases, the bacteria responsible, are organisms that normally exist on the patient's skin as part of his/her "skin flora".

 

So in this case, a cat may have opened the door for the bacteria to enter the skin, at worst. Any other accidental scratch by a girlfriend, a garden fence or a piece of furniture could have done the same.

Edited January 24, 2017 by fstarbkk
for clarity

[Michael8511]

It's not from the cat itself. It's a very rare thing  it caused by a Group A streptococcus and you can get it from minor cuts, insects bite etc if you don't clean these proper. In the US it's around 6-700 reported cases per year.

just clean your sounds properly and don't be afraid of cats they don't carry this kind of bacteria.

[paulbj2]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Hopefully the dog would be free of rabies?

Cats too are subject to rabies infections but the most widespread carriers, in western Europe at least, are bats. The only person to die of a locally acquired rabies infection in Britain in recent years, was a guy working in bat conservation who was scratched by a trapped bat during a capture and survey programme.  He had declined the prophylactic vaccination against rabies that is always offered to people working with wild bats.

[NMKDom]

A bit careless of the Doctors to blame cats. It doesn't take much for people of a certain mentality to start a witch hunt against cats. The bacterium in question is everywhere. We are in the tropics. Every scratch must be treated seriously and cleaned thoroughly with antibiotics - even mosquito bites.

[little mary sunshine]

With all the wild cats....scary!!

[Estrada]

It is not called "nacrotyzing pascilitis", it is called "Necrotising fasciitis",  a development of Erysipelas. I caught this flesh eating bacterial infection from a scratch caused by the sharp edge of the Video on Demand box under the seat in front of me while flying by Thai Airways to Brisbane, nearly lost my legs too.

[Krataiboy]

Lord help you if our Fluffy gets hold of  you!  (No, the weights are not his - he doesn't need them!).

 

fluff.avi

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, JHolmesJr said:

FL?

 

Foreign Lover? Faithful Leopard? 

 

I assumed it was Father-in-Law ...