Septic Shock due to Capnocytophaga: A Case Report

Abstract

The genus Capnocytophaga spp., recorded for the first time in 1979, comprises gram-negative bacilli, that colonize the oral mucosa of dogs and, to a lesser extent, cats, so that human transmission can be due to biting, scratching or close contact. Though it is not a common cause of infection in humans, it is a potentially serious one, which can occasionally go unnoticed causing sepsis, bacteremia, meningitis and endocarditis. A high clinical suspicion is essential for its diagnosis, especially in high-risk patients, such as alcoholics or splenectomized patients, as time to positivity of blood cultures may take as long as 6 days. Antibiotic treatment should last several weeks.