Pasteurella multocida Bacteremia in an Immunocompromised Patient After Multiple Cat Scratches

Division

West Florida

Hospital

Medical Center of Trinity

Document Type

Case Report

Publication Date

1-27-2021

Keywords

immunocompromised, pasteurella multocida, sepsis, bacteremia, cat scratch, zoonosis

Disciplines

Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Infectious Disease | Internal Medicine | Public Health

Abstract

Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) is a zoonotic organism found in the normal flora of domestic and wild animals. In this case report, we present a 70-year-old Caucasian male who presented with fever, chills, and greenish sputum which began hours prior to presentation. His symptoms were initially thought to be due to refractory pneumonia because the patient had been discharged from our hospital three weeks prior to presentation. Blood cultures grew P. multocida, a rare pathogen to cause bacteremia. He was treated with cefepime and later amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and made an uneventful recovery. Later history of the patient’s cats scratching him was thought to be the mode of transmission. P. multocida infection is rare, and can also be dangerous and even fatal in immunocompromised individuals. Clinicians must therefore operate with a high degree of suspicion especially when treating immunocompromised patients with bacteremia.

Publisher or Conference

Cureus

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