An Abrasion, a Prosthetic Shoulder, and a Cat with a Licking Tendency: Case Report and Literature Review of P. multocida Joint Seeding

Abstract

Pasteurella multocida is a pathogen well known for its zoonotic transmission, most commonly by cats and dogs. When bacteremia ensures from an infection, patients with foreign objects present in their bodies, including prosthetic joints and mesh implants, become vulnerable to seeding. There have been multiple documented cases in which P. multocida bacteremia has resulted in infection of both native and prosthetic joints. Furthermore, cases have been documented in which patients with P. multocida bacteremia have developed meningitis and neurological complications. Here, we present a patient with multiple comorbidities including multifactorial immunocompromise, advanced age, and multiple prosthetic joints who developed prosthetic joint infection and spinal osteomyelitis after the development of Pasteurella bacteremia. Aggressive treatment was undertaken given her risk factors, and a combination of antibiotics and surgery was utilized, with the patient making a full recovery.

Periprosthetic Joint Infection Diagnosis: A Narrative Review

“…As the number of prosthetic joint replacements grows, so does the risk of prosthetic joint infection, particularly in individuals exposed to animals. Pasteurella multocida is found in the nasopharynx or gastrointestinal tract of wild animals, cats, and dogs, so zoonotic infections induced by this bacterium are exceedingly uncommon (50% of dog bites and 75% of cat bites contain this bacterium in their saliva) [48]. Shih and Chen reported the case of a 52-year-old male with a liver transplantation followed by PJI due to cat scratches and bites [49].…”