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Nelar Wine, MD; Yenny Lim, MD; Joshua Fierer, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997;123(7):759-761.

Abstract
Pasteurella multocida, a small gram-negative coccobacillus, colonizes the nasopharynx and gastrointestinal tract of many animals, including cats and dogs. Most human infections with P multocida are due to animal bites, but the respiratory tract is the second most common site of infection. We describe the third case report (to our knowledge) of acute P multocida epiglottitis. The mode of transmission in this case was inhalation of infectious nasopharyngeal secretions from cats. The patient responded well to treatment with penicillin, the drug of choice for P multocida infections. Therefore, infection with P multocida, though rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis in any case involving acute epiglottitis and exposure to cats.

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997;123:759-761

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine (Drs Wine, Lim, and Fierer) and Pathology (Dr Fierer), Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, infectious Disease Section, San Diego, Calif.