Ms. Trainer, pet owner, and dog lover woke up in the hospital, having doctors tell her all four of her limbs have been amputated.
Medical professionals have removed Marie Trainer’s both arms and legs in order to save her life as gangrene was starting to spread while she was in a coma. It is thought that Ms. Trainer had become affected as a result of one of her two pet dogs licking a scratch on her arm. This, in turn, caused her immune system to severely inflame.
At first, once beginning to feel ill, the 54-year-old woman from Ohio, US, thought that it might be just symptoms of the flu, however, she was urgently taken to the hospital once her temperature rose alarmingly. It is reported that she had developed sepsis and suffered liver and kidney failure, as well as experiencing agonizing pain in her arms and legs. As she was incapable of breathing on her own, she was put into a coma and on life support. In only a matter of hours, she started suffering from gangrene and necrosis in her limbs.
Later on, it was discovered that the contracted infection was namely ‘capnocytophaga canimorsus’, which is, in turn, a bacteria found in dogs’ saliva.
The medical director of infectious disease at Aultman Hospital, Dr. Margaret Kobe, told Fox 8 that:
“It’s fairly common in the oral flora or the mouth of a dog and it can be transmitted through a bite or sometimes just contact with saliva.”
She also added that, therefore, it is advised people wash their hands after playing with a dog, as the organism could prompt the immune system to cause horrible consequences.
In the case of Ms.Trainer, the consequence was the formation of blood clots which were severely damaging to her limb tissues to a degree they could not be saved.
As a result, Marie Trainer has gone into surgery six times in the span of three months, all the while remembering nothing before finally waking up in intensive care.
Medical professionals conclude that without the amputations, the woman would have most definitely died as the infection progressed rapidly. Now, the 54-year-old hairdresser has a long path of healing and rehabilitation ahead of her.
An online fundraising campaign for her rehabilitation has raised (as of now) the sum of $33,104 in order to help her adapt to her new lifestyle.
In conclusion, however, it is important to note that the vast majority of people who have contact with dogs, as well as cats will not get ill from Capnocytophaga. However, in very rare cases, the bacteria can cause sickness and even death (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Those with a higher risk of the infection are people with already weakened immune systems– having conditions like cancer, diabetes, HIV, or if they have had their spleen removed.
It is unclear whether or not Ms. Trainer had such a condition, weakening her immune system.
