TY - JOUR
T1 - Look What the Cat Dragged in! Recurrent Clostridioides difficile from a Household Cat
AU - Garza, Manuel A.
AU - Thomas, Braden
AU - Saleh, Adam
AU - Nabbout, Lara
AU - Quigley, Eamonn M.M.
AU - Mathur, Neha
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Am J Case Rep, 2023; 2.
PY - 2023/10/27
Y1 - 2023/10/27
N2 - Background: Case Report: Conclusions: Unusual clinical course Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that is well known for causing serious diarrheal infections and can even lead to colon cancer if left untreated. Disruption of the normal healthy bacteria in the colon can lead to development of C. difficile colitis. Risk factors for C. difficile infections (CDI) include recent antibiotic exposure, hospital or nursing home stays, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or impaired immunity. There is an increasing incidence of community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) in individuals without the common risk factors, which has implicated natural reservoirs, zoonoses, originating from animals such as domestic cats and dogs, livestock, shellfish, and wild animals. A previously healthy 31-year-old woman with recurrent CA-CDI suspected to be acquired from a household cat represents a novel presentation. The patient had an initial case of severe diarrhea following recent antibiotic exposure, was briefly monitored in hospital, and was diagnosed with CDI. She was trialed on oral vancomycin, which resulted in temporary resolution of her symptoms. Her symptoms recurred, however, and did not improve despite treatment with multiple therapeutic options over a period of months. Ultimately, the patient was not able to achieve long-term resolution of her symptoms until her newly adopted pet cat was treated by a veterinarian. In conclusion, this case report explores the epidemiologic risk factors of zoonotic CA-CDI and the importance of early identification, evaluation, and prevention of disease. This case demonstrates the significance of thorough history taking, contact (pet) tracing, and proper treatment of recurrent CA-CDI.
AB - Background: Case Report: Conclusions: Unusual clinical course Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that is well known for causing serious diarrheal infections and can even lead to colon cancer if left untreated. Disruption of the normal healthy bacteria in the colon can lead to development of C. difficile colitis. Risk factors for C. difficile infections (CDI) include recent antibiotic exposure, hospital or nursing home stays, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or impaired immunity. There is an increasing incidence of community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) in individuals without the common risk factors, which has implicated natural reservoirs, zoonoses, originating from animals such as domestic cats and dogs, livestock, shellfish, and wild animals. A previously healthy 31-year-old woman with recurrent CA-CDI suspected to be acquired from a household cat represents a novel presentation. The patient had an initial case of severe diarrhea following recent antibiotic exposure, was briefly monitored in hospital, and was diagnosed with CDI. She was trialed on oral vancomycin, which resulted in temporary resolution of her symptoms. Her symptoms recurred, however, and did not improve despite treatment with multiple therapeutic options over a period of months. Ultimately, the patient was not able to achieve long-term resolution of her symptoms until her newly adopted pet cat was treated by a veterinarian. In conclusion, this case report explores the epidemiologic risk factors of zoonotic CA-CDI and the importance of early identification, evaluation, and prevention of disease. This case demonstrates the significance of thorough history taking, contact (pet) tracing, and proper treatment of recurrent CA-CDI.
KW - Adult
KW - Animals
KW - Cats
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
KW - Clostridioides
KW - Clostridioides difficile
KW - Clostridium Infections/diagnosis
KW - Diarrhea/chemically induced
KW - Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy
KW - Vancomycin/therapeutic use
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U2 - 10.12659/AJCR.940923
DO - 10.12659/AJCR.940923
M3 - Article
C2 - 37885171
SN - 1941-5923
VL - 24
SP - e940923-1-e940923-4
JO - American Journal of Case Reports
JF - American Journal of Case Reports
M1 - e940923
ER -