A family from West Bend, Wisconsin experienced an unusual and tragic event after their dog apparently licked the head of the household, Greg Manteufel.
Before mid-June of 2018, 48-year-old Greg was healthy and loved riding his Harley. He thought he had the flu one day, but was quickly sent to the emergency room to receive treatment for an infection on June 27.
“It hit him with a vengeance. Just bruising all over him. Looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat,” said his wife Dawn Manteufel, according to Fox 6.
Doctors confirmed through blood tests that the infection was caused by a bacteria named capnocytophaga, and it may have entered his body by his dog licking him.
“This type of bacteria comes from the saliva of dogs. This infection in his blood triggered a very severe response on his body,” said Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price of Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The infection caused his blood pressure to drop rapidly, causing his arms and legs to die. Doctors had to amputate his limbs to save his life.
“That’s all he kept saying to the doctors: ‘Take what you need but keep me alive.’ And they did it. Surprisingly enough, they did do it,” said Dawn.
Greg’s family created a GoFundMe page to raise money for prosthetic limbs and other expenses. As of July 31, they are about $5,100 away from their $25,000 goal.
Although he lived around dogs all his life, what happened to Greg Manteufel was still extremely rare.
“More than 99 percent of the people that have dogs will never have this issue. It’s just chance,” said Dr. Munoz-Price.
