Septic shock from Pasturella multocida following a cat bite: case report and review of literature

Abstract

Pasteurella multocida is a gram-negative organism categorized morphologically as a coccobacillus. P. multocida is a natural inhabitant found in the nasopharynx and oropharynx of numerous animal hosts, but serves as an opportunistic pathogen in humans. Pasturella multocida has multiple subspecies; when identified as the cause of infection they are broadly termed pasturelloses. Infections involving P. multocida are typically reported to occur in immune-compromised patients. Few cases in the literature identify pasturellosis as the causative agent of septic shock, especially in cirrhotic patients. Our patient's underlying cirrhosis and past splenectomy place her in the higher risk category for developing invasive Pasturella infection. We report a patient who presented with septic shock that was initially thought to be related to a urinary tract infection. It was later revealed that the patient's condition was caused by a recent cat bite leading to Pasturella bacteremia compounded by hepatic cirrhosis and previous splenectomy.