PET owners have been warned of the deadly consequences of letting their pets lick them after a dad-of-two tragically died.
Craig Jones was rushed to hospital with a life-threatening condition he caught from his dog’s saliva.
Mr Jones’ condition meant that his immune system may have been suppressed making him even more vulnerable to infection[/caption]
The 49-year-old’s wife found him purple and cold before medics arrived.
After suffering six cardiac arrests, his body was unable to respond to treatment and he shockingly died of organ failure.
Subsequent tests have found that Mr Jones was suffering from a sepsis-related condition and linked the infection to one commonly carried by dogs.
The terrifying events unfolded shortly after his pet beagle licked an open wound on his leg in December 2022.
Mr Jones’ gash was a result of his severe psoriasis, a skin condition that often causes scaly patches, cuts and open sores.
The long-lasting diagnosis is caused by the body’s immune system attacking healthy skin cells.
When the “affectionate” dog’s tongue came into contact with Mr Jones, it is thought the lethal pathogen entered his bloodstream.
A coroner has since warned of the dangers that come with allowing a pet to lick wounds.
The inquest heard from a consultant microbiologist who revealed the “extremely rare” infection occurs in around one per million people.
Dr Eoghan O’Neill said: “It’s a very progressive bug which has a 33 per cent mortality rate once it enters the bloodstream.”
Mr Jones’ condition meant that his immune system may have been suppressed making him even more vulnerable to infection.
Aged 24, he had his spleen, an organ responsible for removing pathogens, removed.
However, his family described him as “fit as a fiddle” and a keen runner.
Coroner Cróna Gallagher found that the sepsis Mr Jones died from was a result of an infection which could have been transmitted by the family pet.
She went on to urge others to take care by observing “good hygiene” around animals.
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when your immune system overreacts and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
Symptoms of sepsis in an adult include:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Symptoms in a child include:
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
- Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- Being sleepier than normal or having difficulty waking
They may not have all these symptoms.
If you think you or someone else has symptoms of sepsis, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: NHS
It follows an inquest ruling the death of a teenage after an emergency call handler failed to spot the tell-tale signs of sepsis.
Cyrus Perry was just 17 when he waited eight hours for a call back from NHS 111.
After the tragedy, his mum Hayley had revealed she felt let down by the system. /im
Who gets sepsis and what causes it?
Sepsis can affect anyone. The condition occurs when the body’s immune system has an overeaction to an infection.
As a result, the body attacks itself.
Some people are more likely to get an infection that could lead to sepsis, however.
This includes babies under the age of one, people over 75 years old, people with diabetes or a weak immune system (either due to treatment, a condition or genetically), people who have recently had surgery or given birth.
Any infection can lead to sepsis. But those more likely to are those of:
- Lungs, such as pneumonia.
- Kidney, bladder and other parts of the urinary system
- Digestive system
- Bloodstream
- Catheter sites
- Wounds or burns
The 49-year-old’s wife found him purple and cold before medics arrived[/caption]
