Sudbury man dies of rare infection following dog bite
The family of a Sudbury man, who passed away after a rare bacterial infection caused by a bite from his dog, is sharing his story as a warning to others.
Sylvain Boissonneault died on June 8 at 56 years old after being bitten by his own dog, which led to a Capnocytophaga bacteria infection.
"His younger dog Tinkerbell, which he calls Bell, she had seizures. And while she was having the seizure, he didn’t want her to swallow her tongue so he put his hand in there and she clamped down -- not in any malicious way -- and bit his thumb," said Boissonneault's sister Carolyn Chevrette.
Chevrette said her brother figured he needed stitches but never had the wound checked.
He even brought Bell to the vet but never had the bite examined.
Want more northern Ontario news? Download the free CTV News app.
Dr. Andrew Armstrong is the Martindale Animal Clinic veterinarian who treated the dog.
"I was the veterinarian that saw Mr. Boissonneault with his canine family member on the first weekend this month during an emergency visit. The entire staff of the clinic were incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Sylvain. He was a loving and dedicated pet owner," Dr. Armstrong said.
"When dealing with cases such as this, we always stress the importance of having any bite wound, big or small, human or animal, checked by a health care professional. The particular bug that infected Sylvain is commonly found in the mouths of dogs, (it causes) very few issues for them, but obviously, in Sylvain’s case, had the chance to develop into a very serious infection."
He urges people to always take every bite seriously.
Two days after Boissonneault was bitten, he developed a fever and contacted a virtual clinic, mentioning the bite.
The doctor said it was likely influenza, his family told CTV News, but on June 7, his symptoms got worse. "He was dizzy, he was sweating, he had a high fever, but he was home alone. So in the morning, he called an ambulance," Chevrette said.
Upon arriving at the hospital, blood work discovered that he had Capnocytophaga bacteria present and was given a 50/50 chance of survival, she added.
"He told me 'everything was going to be fine,' that he would be out in five days and then throughout the day, his liver had failed, his kidneys failed, he had pneumonia, he had the bacteria and then throughout the day they kept doing blood work constantly and it seemed okay," Chevrette said.
"Forty-five minutes before he passed, that’s when we were told 'the blood work is not looking good' and we went in the room to be with him and then while we were in there, his heart failed."
His sister said she is sharing her brother's story as a warning to others that while this bacteria is common, her brother's reaction to it was not.
"I mean the dog is still with us, she’s fine. She’s not malicious. There's nothing wrong with her. It's just one of those things, it's very rare for people to contract this bacteria. The stats in 2010 only show worldwide 200 people that have passed from this bacteria. So I’m almost positive that it’s the first case in Sudbury of someone passing from this bacteria."
Carolyn Chevrette's brother, Sylvain Boissonneault, died of a rare bacterial infection after being bitten by his dog Tinkerbell while she was having a seizure. June 17/22 (Lyndsay Aelick/CTV Northern Ontario)
Boissonneault leaves behind his mother, sister and two daughters – 12-year-old Jasmine and 8-year-old Arey-Elle. He owned AitTech Heating Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
His funeral will be June 27.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.