A Wisconsin man had to have all his limbs amputated after he contracted a severe infection, likely from a lick from his pet dog Ellie. Last month, Greg Manteufel, from West Bend, started experiencing flu-like symptoms including fever, vomiting and diarrhea. However, when bruising appeared on his arms and legs, the 48-year-old was rushed to the emergency room. Doctors told him a blood infection had spread to all four of his limbs and, due extensive tissue and muscle damage, they would be forced to amputate all of his limbs. Greg Manteufel, 48 (pictured), from West Bend, Wisconsin, was rushed to the emergency room last month after he developed flu-like symptoms and bruising appeared on his arms and legs Doctors ran blood tests and discovered he'd become infected with a bacterial pathogen known as capnocytophaga canimorsus, which is found in the saliva of healthy dogs and cats but can lead to infection in humans who are immunocompromised. Pictured: Greg with his dog 'It hit him with a vengeance,' his wife, Dawn Manteufel, told WITI. 'Just bruising all over him. Looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat.' Doctors ran blood tests and discovered he'd become infected with a bacterial pathogen known as capnocytophaga canimorsus. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the bacteria is found in the saliva of healthy dogs and cats. One 2014 study from Japan found the bacteria to be present in 69 percent of dogs and 54 percent of cats. Greg was told the infection was likely transmitted via a lick from his own dog. So far, he's had amputations on his legs up to his kneecaps (left), his arms up to his mid-forearms and will need extensive plastic surgery on his nose (right) WHAT IS THE BACTERIA FOUND IN DOGS' SALIVA? Capnocytophaga Canimorsus, a bacterial pathogen, is typically found in the saliva of cats and dogs. It has the rare ability to cause disease in healthy individuals but has been known to cause severe illness in people with pre-existing conditions or compromised immune system. The bacteria's transmission can occur through bites, licks or even close proximity to the animals. Symptoms usually appear within one to eight days of exposure, but mostly on the second day. They can range from flu-like symptoms to sepsis. Infection can usually be treated effectively with antibiotics and is recommended for a minimum of three weeks. But thre can be long-term side effects include amputation from gangrene, heart attack, and kidney failure. The faster the infection is diagnosed the better the chance of survival. About 30 percent of all those infected die. Source: CDC Advertisement The bacteria can be transmitted to humans through bites, licks, or even close proximity with the animal - seeping into the skin even without a cut or scrape. While most people will not exhibit any symptoms if they become infected, it has been shown to cause severe illness n those who have compromised immune systems, according to a 2003 study from France. It is unclear if Greg had any pre-existing conditions but he developed sepsis, or blood poisoning, and his nose, both of his hands and his legs beneath his knees turned black. Within a week of being in the hospital, doctors first amputated Greg's feet and then his legs up to his kneecaps. Then, three weeks after he was first admitted, both of Greg's hands up to his mid palms were amputated. According to a GoFundMe page, doctors were hoping to save the remainder of his arms but, due to extensive damage to the tissue and muscles, both arms up to mid-forearm had to be amputated. Doctors also told Dawn that Greg would need extensive plastic surgery to rebuild his nose. After discovering the Manteufels have a pet dog, the medical staff told Dawn that her husband likely was infected after being licked. 'We can't wrap our heads around it that all of a sudden, he's 48 years old and been around dogs all of his life, and then this happens,' she said. It is currently unclear where the dog is. Dailymail.com has reached out to the family for comment but has not received a reply. Dr Silvia Munoz-Price, an infectious disease specialist with Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, told WITI that Greg's immune system response to the infection resulted in his blood pressure dropping and decreased circulation in his limbs. A family friend has started a GoFundMe page to raise money to help cover his mountain medical bills. According to the page, Greg (pictured left, with family) will be fitted for prosthetic limbs so he can function independently 'More than 99 percent of the people that have dogs will never have this issue. It's just [a fluke],' said Dr Munoz-Price. Dawn said that despite the multiple surgeries and long road of rehab ahead, her her husband feels lucky to be alive. '[He] kept saying to the doctors: "Take what you need but keep me alive." And they did it. Surprisingly enough, they did do it,' she said. A family friend has started a GoFundMe page to raise money to help cover his mountain medical bills. So far, more than $18,100 has been raised out of a $25,000 goal. According to the page, Greg will be fitted for prosthetic limbs so he can function independently.<doc-sep>A US man lost both his legs, most of his nose and some of his arms after contracting a rare bacterial infection from his affectionate dog. Wisconsin native Greg Manteufel went to the emergency room with what he thought was a cold. But his symptoms, which included bruising all over his body, turned out to be something far more serious. The 48-year-old had contracted sepsis, a dangerous infection of the bloodstream - and his beloved pit bull was to blame. It's believed the bacteria capnocytophaga was passed to Mr Manteufel when the dog licked him. Dr Silvia Munoz-Price, a Wisconsin infectious disease expert, says the bacterium usually comes from "the saliva of dogs". "More than 99 percent of the people who have dogs will never have this issue," he told Fox 6. "It's just chance." The infection triggered a severe response in Mr Manteufel's body, causing low blood pressure to cut off circulation to his limbs, turning them black. Within days of being admitted to hospital both his feet were amputated, and then both legs up to the knee caps. He needed additional surgeries to amputate parts of his hands and then half of both his forearms. His nose was also affected by sepsis, meaning he will need reconstructive surgery in the future. The Manteufel family has created a GoFundMe account to raise money for his prosthetic limbs and nose surgery. The page says that while his family and friends were panicked by the medical emergency, Mr Manteufel "held his head high and [took] the news like a beast". More than US$24,000 (NZ$35,290) has been raised for his medical bills to date. Capnocytophaga Canimorsus grows in the mouths of up to 60 percent of dogs and 17 percent of cats. Considered a normal bacteria, there have been just 500 incidents of non-bite contact causing sepsis in humans in the US and Canada since 1976. Newshub.<doc-sep>A Wisconsin man lost his limbs after an infection he thought was a bad case of the flu.Greg Manteufel, 48, went to the emergency room with what he thought was the flu, but tests revealed he was suffering from an infection caused by bacteria in the saliva of dogs.While in the hospital, Manteufel's blood pressure dropped and the circulation to his limbs rapidly decreased, causing his legs to just "die," doctors said.It's situation Manteufel's wife, Dawn Manteufel, still does not understand. "We can't wrap our heads around it," Dawn said. "He's 48 years old and been around dogs all of his life, and this happens," Dawn said.According to doctors, Manteufel just had bad luck. They say 99 percent of dog owners will never have this problem.<doc-sep>
A Wisconsin man had to have all of his limbs amputated when he contracted a rare blood infection from his pet dog’s saliva, according to a report. Greg Manteufel thought he had the flu and went to the hospital last month — only to find out that his body was being ravaged by Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a type of bacteria found in the saliva of dogs and cats. It can in very rare cases, enter the bloodstream through their licks, bites or other close contact. “It hit him with a vengeance. Just bruising all over him,” his wife, Dawn Manteufel told Fox 6 Now. “Looked like somebody beat him up with a baseball bat.” Within a week, doctors told him they had to cut off his legs — as the disease, which caused 48-year-old Manteufel’s blood pressure to plummet and the circulation in his limbs to dramatically decrease. “Sometimes it decreases so much that the arms and legs just die,” said Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Doctors were eventually forced to amputate portions of his hands and then half of both forearms. “We can’t wrap our heads around it… He’s been around dogs all of his life… and this happens,” said Dawn Manteufel. “All he kept saying to the doctors — ‘take what you need but keep me alive,. And they did it.” Doctor’s told the outlet they believe the bacteria that infected Manteufel came from his dog, Ellie. “More than 99 percent of the people that have dogs will never have this issue. It’s just chance,” said Munoz-Price. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to cover his many surgeries and prosthetic for his hands and legs — which he’ll be fitted for once he recovers from sepsis. According to the Center for Disease Control, people with weakened immune systems are more at risk of contracting the bacteria.