Gainesville, Florida – A man in his 70s from Florida contracted a rare, life-threatening infection in his implanted defibrillator after consuming a feral pig back in 2017. The unusual chain of events that led to this severe medical condition began with the man handling raw meat with his bare hands before cooking and consuming it, unknowingly exposing himself to the sneaky bacterium Brucella suis.
Years later, the man started experiencing feverish symptoms, intermittent pain, excess fluid, and hardening of the skin on his chest, which prompted a case study led by infectious disease specialist Jose Rodriguez from the University of Florida. Upon diagnosis, doctors found that the insidious bacterial infection had made its way into the man’s defibrillator, necessitating a complete replacement of the medical device.
Brucellosis, the bacterial infection transferred from animals to humans, is primarily carried by cows, goats, sheep, and pigs. Infections of Brucella suis and related bacteria pose challenges in treatment due to their ability to hide within immune cells for extended periods, causing mild, feverish symptoms. These bacteria are hard to isolate and identify in lab tests, often leading to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.
The defibrillator presented an ideal hiding place for the Brucella bacteria, which proved difficult to eliminate with antibiotics due to limited blood supply. Only one case of Brucella infection in a defibrillator was reported in a 30-year review of over 5,000 patients, highlighting the rarity of this condition. Despite its severity, the Florida man’s case underscores the importance of handling raw meat from wild animals with caution to avoid such infections.
After multiple hospital visits and a series of treatments, the man’s infection was finally cleared after antibiotics were administered for six weeks. Subsequent lab analysis confirmed the defibrillator’s contamination by Brucella suis, emphasizing the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis in such cases. The man’s full recovery serves as a cautionary tale for those consuming unpasteurized dairy products or wild animals, especially in regions where infections like Brucellosis are endemic.
With more than a million feral pigs in Florida, the presence of Brucella suis in these animals highlights the potential risks associated with consuming such wildlife. The study detailing the man’s ordeal was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, shedding light on the need for awareness and preventive measures in handling and consuming meat from wild sources. The successful treatment and recovery of the Florida man serve as a testament to the importance of timely medical intervention and proper identification of rare infections like Brucellosis.