Elderly and their companion animals, cause for pleasure or for harm, a case report of a non- bite Pasteurella multocida bacteremia in an 85 year old woman

Abstract

We present a case of an elderly woman suffering from Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) bacteremia, without obvious bite marks, but owning a pet dog. Although the patient was not immunocompromised, and prompt treatment with antibiotics was initiated, she developed severe septic shock with multiple organ failure and died. In healthy individuals, an infection caused by this bacteria is easy to treat and often harmless, whereas in elderly serious complications can occur. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a fatal outcome of a P. multocida bacteremia in a non-immunocompromised, yet elderly patient. Given the growing cohort of elderly pet-owners seeking medical care, a heightened awareness of zoonosis and its potential fatal outcome is warranted.