A Wisconsin man's limbs were amputated after doctors said he contracted a bacterial infection – likely from a dog's lick.

According to WITI, Greg Manteufel, 48, of West Bend, believed he had the flu when he went to the emergency room in late June. But doctors later determined that capnocytophaga, a type of bacteria found in dog saliva, had caused the infection that left him bruised, dropped his blood pressure and decreased blood flow to his limbs.

To keep Manteufel alive, doctors had to amputate both legs to the knees and both arms to the mid-forearm, according to a mid-July update to a GoFundMe page for the family. That campaign has raised more than $27,000.

Manteufel's wife, Dawn, told WITI that her husband has "been around dogs all of his life."

>> Read more trending news

"We can't wrap our heads around it," she said.

Dr. Silvia Munoz-Price, who specializes in infectious diseases, told WITI that "99 percent of people that have dogs will never have this issue."

You probably shouldn't let your dog lick your face

About the Author

Keep Reading

Winfred Rembert's acclaimed memoir, "Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South" received the Pulitzer Prize for biography a year after he died.
Courtesy of Bloomsbury

Credit: Courtesy of Bloomsbury

Featured

State Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth, introduces himself while attending an AAPI mental health event at Norcross High School on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray