Ohio Woman Loses Arms And Legs Due To Capnocytophaga Infection From Dog Saliva

A woman from Ohio was hospitalized for more than 80 days and had her limbs partially amputated after contracting severe bacterial infection from dog saliva.

Marie Trainer told told Fox 8 Cleveland that said she has no recollection of what happened. All she recalled was feeling sick. When she woke up, she learned she was in a coma for 10 days and both her arms and legs were partially amputated.

Marie and her husband Matthew initially thought she had flu because she felt nauseous and had a bad backache.

Marie’s temperature, however, went up and plummeted so she was rushed to the hospital. Within hours, Marie was developing sepsis and her condition continued to deteriorate.

Marie’s stepdaughter Gina Premier said that Marie was getting new and worse symptoms rapidly. In just a couple of days, Marie had to be placed into a medically-induced coma as her limbs started to turn necrotic and gangrenous.

Tests eventually revealed she has capnocytophaga, a bacteria commonly found in the saliva of dogs.

“Rarely, Capnocytophaga germs can spread to people through bites, scratches, or close contact from a dog or cat and may cause illness, including sepsis,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

People with weakened immune systems, like patients with cancer or those taking certain medications, are at greater risk of becoming ill from the bacteria.

Margaret Kobe, Medical Director of Infectious Disease at Aultman Hospital, where Marie received treatments, said the organism can be very virulent. They can cause large blood clots that restrict blood flow, which can lead to necrosis and gangrene.

The doctors had to remove dozens of blood clots from Marie’s limbs in an attempt to save them but the tissue was already too heavily damaged. They said the amputations were necessary or Marie would die.

Marie and her husband have two dogs at home and they suspects their pets may have accidentally licked a small scrape on Marie’s arm.

“My dog licked me… my dogs lick me all the time,” Marie said.

Despite what happened to her, Marie said she still love dogs, but she and Matthew are encouraging people to be more careful.