Pasteurella multocida is a gram-negative bacterium that commonly infects animals like cats, dogs, and birds and can spread to humans through bites, licks, or scratches, with Pekin ducks being known carriers of the bacteria that can cause infections like fowl cholera or duck septicemia. Medical practitioners at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Paterson, NJ, diagnosed a patient with Pasteurella multocida septicemia acquired from close contact with adopted Pekin ducks, particularly from scratches on her forearms by the ducks. P. multocida infection from Pekin ducks is an extremely rare, but serious infection that can be acquired from close contact with Pekin ducks. Prompt recognition and treatment with appropriate antibiotics is crucial for a good prognosis.
Bathobakae L, Cho H, Philip S, Suh JS. Friend Turned Foe: Pasteurella multocida Bacteremia Following a Scratch by an Adopted Pekin Duck. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2025 Jan-Dec;13:23247096251326452. doi: 10.1177/23247096251326452. Epub 2025 Mar 20. PMID: 40110910.
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