Woman Defies Odds, Survives Deadly Infections from Gardening and Pet Cat

A woman in Australia has become the third known person to be infected with the deadly "blackleg" bacteria, Clostridium chauvoei, after gardening bare-handed with scratches from a pet cat. She experienced severe symptoms including abdominal pain, kidney and liver failure, and septic shock. Prompt treatment with antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) helped her survive, although she later developed tissue death in her large intestine and required surgery. The woman's early treatment, prompt surgery, and lack of significant health conditions likely contributed to her survival.