It all started in 2018 when Henrik Kriegbaum Plettner adopted a female cat and her litter from a shelter. Only, a few days later, he is bitten on the index finger by one of the felines. The wound healing quickly, the young Danish man did not worry. It wasn’t until a few hours later that Henrik noticed that the wound in his swollen hand had doubled in size. Worried, he goes to a doctor the next day who recommends that he wait. But the hand does not deflate. After several consultations, he went to the hospital where he was interned for 1 month and underwent about fifteen operations.
The wound is steadily deteriorating
Four months later, the index still does not work properly! The health of the Dane is deteriorating and an analysis then detects a particular anomaly. The young man suffers from a rare bacterial infection called “necrotizing fasciitis” or “flesh-eating” bacteria. After four months of treatment, the doctors decided to amputate his infected finger! But nothing helps, Henrik’s health deteriorates even more. His immune system became increasingly weak over the following years. He contracted a plethora of diseases such as diabetes, pneumonia and gout.
A devastated but alert family
Henrik Kriegbaum Plettner died of his infection in October 2022. On December 14 in the DailyMail, his family decided to alert as many of us as possible to the dangerousness of biting or scratching a cat or dog. If the wound closes quickly with the bacteria, it can cause serious damage. However, the case of Henrik Kriegbaum Plettner remains extremely rare.
Cats are very playful animals but can be brutal in their gestures and bites. We can never repeat it enough, but don’t forget to wash your hands regularly and to consult a doctor in the event of a bite or scratch from a cat or dog.
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