Her condition rapidly deteriorated. In an interview with FOX News, Marie explained, “Four days later, I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker.” Assuming it was the flu, her husband Matt took her to the hospital. The medical staff struggled to diagnose her condition until she fell into a coma.
Marie was found to be suffering from an infection caused by the bacteria capnocytophaga canimorsus, present in the saliva of dogs and cats. This bacteria, once in a human body, can provoke a severe immune response.
In severe cases, the infection may lead to blood clots, which can interrupt circulation to the limbs, necessitating amputation to prevent further spread. For Marie, this meant losing both arms and legs.
Veterinarians caution that dogs can be ‘overlooked spreaders’ of zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted from animals to humans. Researchers at Penn State have issued warnings about maintaining caution around dogs, especially concerning antibiotic-resistant salmonella, which can cause severe illnesses.
Sophia Kenney, the study’s author, noted, “Especially with salmonella, we think about the role of agriculture and transmission – we think about eggs, we think about beef. But the thing is, we don’t let cows sleep in our beds or lick our faces, but we do dogs. We have this close bond with companion animals in general, and we have a really close interface with dogs.”
Falls Village Veterinary Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, highlights the risk, stating, “Dogs have a reputation for being fairly indiscriminate about the things they sniff, lick, and eat. For this reason, their mouths can easily become home to bacteria like E. coli, campylobacter, and salmonella. These microorganisms are zoonotic, which means they can be readily passed from one species to another. While healthy adults will almost certainly survive being exposed to the viruses or bacteria in their dogs’ mouths, there is a non-zero risk of gastrointestinal illness and oral diseases from puppy kisses. Certain parasites like giardia, roundworms, and hookworms can also be transmitted through licks. These organisms can cause severe abdominal pain and digestive problems in dogs and humans.”
Marie has been on a tough road to recovery following her quadruple amputation, engaging in rehabilitation with prosthetic limbs. She shared, “It’s been challenging. Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good, I’m doing good.”