Sepsis Caused by Newly Identified Capnocytophaga canis Following Cat Bites: C. canis Is the Third Candidate along with C. canimorsus and C. cynodegmi Causing Zoonotic Infection

Minami Taki; Yoshio Shimojima; Ayako Nogami; Takuhiro Yoshida; Michio Suzuki; Koichi Imaoka; Hiroki Momoi; Norinao Hanyu

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.9196-17

CASE REPORTS

Sepsis Caused by Newly Identified Capnocytophaga canis Following Cat Bites: C. canis Is the Third Candidate along with C. canimorsus and C. cynodegmi Causing Zoonotic Infection

Minami Taki, Yoshio Shimojima, Ayako Nogami, Takuhiro Yoshida, Michio Suzuki, Koichi Imaoka, Hiroki Momoi, Norinao Hanyu

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Keywords: Capnocytophaga canis, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, sepsis, oxidase activity

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2018 Volume 57 Issue 2 Pages 273-277

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.9196-17

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Abstract

Sepsis caused by a Capnocytophaga canis infection has only been rarely reported. A 67-year-old female with a past medical history of splenectomy was admitted to our hospital with fever and general malaise. She had been bitten by a cat. She showed disseminated intravascular coagulation and multi-organ failure because of severe sepsis. On blood culture, characteristic gram-negative fusiform rods were detected; therefore, a Capnocytophaga species infection was suspected. A nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the species to be C. canis, which was newly identified in 2016. C. canis may have low virulence in humans; however, C. canis with oxidase activity may cause severe zoonotic infection.

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