| MadSci Network: Medicine |
Your physician is staying current, a recent case study in the New England Journal of Medicine described a patient who almost died from a bacteria found in dogs-Capnocytophagia canimorsus. And the vetinary literature has more. In general people who have lost their spleen for whatever reason are more at risk for infections. Recommendations for the "asplenic patient" include pneumococcal vaccine (the so-called pneumonia shot), hemophilus influenza and some even recommend meningococcal vaccine. Back to the original question, the bacteria C. canimorsus can be injected into the skin with dog biting, and if you are minus a spleen, then you are immunocompromised and more at risk for getting infected from this. I did not find any mention of this dog bacteria as a risk to the general population. Thanks for your question, but also talk to your physician. When a physician makes a statement that doesn't make sense, ask him/her why as they should be able to explain the reason.( I'm a physician and would not be offended at something like that)
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