Pasteurella canis soft tissue infection after a cat bite - A case report

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Pasteurella canis is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacterium commonly found in the oral and enteric tracts of domestic animals.
• Human infections are typically linked to dog bites, with rarer associations with other animal bites.

Observation:

• A case report details a 34-year-old male who developed a soft tissue infection of the left hand following a cat bite.
• The infection was caused by Pasteurella canis.

Findings:

• The patient's infection was successfully treated with surgical intervention and antibiotics.
• Species identification was confirmed using both conventional automated systems and nucleic acid-based methods.

Implications:

• This case highlights that cat bites can transmit Pasteurella canis, leading to human infections.
• Nucleic acid-based methods present a robust and effective alternative for the microbiological diagnosis of Pasteurella species, improving accuracy and speed in clinical practice.