This is the story of Massachusetts General Hospital case #31-2010: a 29-year-old woman whom I’ll call Melissa.

I’m telling Melissa’s story not for its common-sense lesson—avoid interactions with cats*—but because it shows that doctor detective-work happens outside of TV Land.

Melissa was a veterinary assistant at an animal hospital. One day, at work, a cat bit her right hand, in the meaty part where the thumb meets the palm. Bad kitty.



Following workplace protocol, Melissa took an antibiotic, amoxicillin, and moved on.

Five days later, she woke up with a red, hot and swollen palm, throbbing in pain. She rushed to her local hospital. These are typical symptoms of infection by microorganisms, such as Pasteurella multocida, that live inside of a cat’s mouth.