BackgroundPasteurella multocida is a well-recognized zoonotic agent following dog or cat bites or scratches. Nevertheless, prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida are rarely reported.MethodWe report here a series of six cases of prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida managed at a referral centre for the treatment of bone and joint infection in southern France. We also reviewed the 26 cases reported in literature.ResultsThe mean age of our cases was 74 years [±8.2, range 63–85]. In majority of our cases (5 cases) were associated with knee prostheses and one case with a hip prosthesis. Most of cases occurred after cat or dog scratches or licks or contact. Diagnoses of prosthetic joint infection caused by P. multocida were made by positive cultures of surgical biopsies or needle aspiration. Mean time delay between prosthetic joint implantation and infection onset was 7.6 years (±5.12 years, range 2–17). Local inflammation, which occurred in all six cases, was the most frequent clinical symptom, followed by pain in five cases, fever and swollen joints in four cases, and a fistula with purulent discharge inside the wound in two cases. The mean time of antibiotic therapy was 8 months. Surgical treatment with prosthesis removal was performed in three cases. Six of our cases were in remission without apparent relapse at 3 years after end of treatment.ConclusionProsthetic joint infections caused by P. multocida usually occur after animal scratches or bites, but can occasionally occur after a short animal lick. These infections are usually resulting from a contiguous infection and localized in the knee. An early antibiotic therapy after surgical debridement could avoid prosthetic withdrawal, notably in elderly patients. Patients with prosthetic joints should be warned that animals are potential sources of serious infection and urgent medical advice should be sought if they are bitten or scratched.

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BackgroundPasteurella multocida meningitis in an immunocompetent patient is rare and commonly occurs after animal bite. To our knowledge, only 48 cases have been reported in the literature since 1989. P. multocida meningitis is commonly linked to animal contagion. Here we report on a new case of P. multocida meningitis in an immunocompetent patient who is a dog owner without a dog bite. We used the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to investigate the clonal lineage between animal and human isolates.Case presentationIn our case, a 25-year-old immunocompetent French Caucasian woman with nothing notable in her medical history was admitted for meningitis caused by P. multocida. Clonal lineage of P. multocida strains from cerebrospinal fluid and blood culture and her dog’s oral cavity has been recognized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry dendrograms and clustering of the 21 P. multocida isolates in our centres. She was treated by a combination of intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g/day) and oral levofloxacin (1 g/day). She was discharged on the 6th day of admission. The antimicrobial therapy was conducted for 15 days. The dog was treated by clavulanic-acid amoxicillin for 3 weeks by the veterinarian. The evolution of the patient at the 5th month after the end of the antimicrobial therapy was normal without any neurological after-effects.ConclusionThe meningitis caused by P. multocida could be considered a cause of human meningitis in dog lovers without an animal bite. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry should be considered as it is an accurate tool to identify clonal lineage between animal and human isolates.