We reviewed clinical and epidemiologic features of 56 human Capnocytophaga canimorsus isolates submitted during a 32-year period to California's Microbial Diseases Laboratory for identification. An increasing number of isolates identified as C. canimorsus have been submitted since 1990. Many laboratories still have difficulty correctly identifying this species. (+info)
The dangers of dog bites.
(26/125)
This report describes an unusual case of endocarditis caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus as a result of dog bite. The diagnosis could be established only by molecular techniques after amplification of bacterial DNA from the infected cardiac valve. The epidemiology and management of Capnocytophaga infections is discussed, as well as the role of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing these infections after dog bites. (+info)
Brain abscess associated with multidrug-resistant Capnocytophaga ochracea infection.
(27/125)
Brain abscesses are occasionally associated with a dental source of infection. An unusual case of frontal lobe abscess in a nonimmunocompromised child infected with multidrug-resistant Capnocytophaga ochracea is described and confirms the pathogenic potential of this organism to cause human disease in the central nervous system. (+info)
Escape from immune surveillance by Capnocytophaga canimorsus.
(28/125)
Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a commensal bacterium from dogs' mouths, can cause septicemia or meningitis in humans through bites or scratches. Here, we describe and characterize the inflammatory response of human and mouse macrophages on C. canimorsus infection. Macrophages infected with 10 different strains failed to release tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 alpha . Macrophages infected with live and heat-killed (HK) C. canimorsus 5 (Cc5), a strain isolated from a patient with fatal septicemia, did not release IL-6, IL-8, interferon- gamma , macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta , and nitric oxide (NO). This absence of a proinflammatory response was characterized by the inability of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 to respond to Cc5. Moreover, live but not HK Cc5 blocked the release of TNF- alpha and NO induced by HK Yersinia enterocolitica. In addition, live Cc5 down-regulated the expression of TLR4 and dephosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. These results highlight passive and active mechanisms of immune evasion by C. canimorsus, which may explain its capacity to escape from the host immune system. (+info)
Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicemia caused by a dog bite in a hairy cell leukemia patient.
(29/125)
Fatal septicemia developed in a splenectomized patient with hairy cell leukemia following a dog bite. Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a slowly growing gram-negative bacillus, was isolated from the patient's blood. Although a rare complication of dog bites in the normal population, this bacterium should be suspected and promptly treated in immunologically compromised dog bite victims. Furthermore, immunocompromised patients should be made aware of the dangers of dog ownership. (+info)
False positive PCR detection of Tropheryma whipplei in the saliva of healthy people.
(30/125)
BACKGROUND: Tropheryma whipplei, the agent of Whipple's disease (WD), has been recently isolated and the genomes of two isolates have been fully sequenced. Previous diagnosis tools for the diagnosis of the disease used sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Using this target gene, the high percentage of detection of the bacterium in saliva of healthy people was in contrast to the negative results obtained with specific target genes. The aim of our study was to compare previously published primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene to real-time PCR with Taqman* probes targeting specific repeat genes only found in the genome of T. whipplei in a series of 57 saliva from healthy people. RESULTS: Although the specific real-time PCR assays with both primers and probes were negative for all the samples, 13 out of 57 samples were positive with different primers previously reported targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Among the positive samples, 8 yielded a 231-bp sequence that was 99.1% identical to that of Actinomyces odontolyticus, 2 yielded a 226-bp that was 99.6% identical to that of A. turicensis, and 3 yielded a 160-bp sequence that was 98.5% identical to that of Capnocytophaga gingivalis. We found that the C. gingivalis and A. odontolyticus 16S rRNA sequences obtained in our study share more than 80% homology with the corresponding 16S rRNA sequences of the T. whipplei genomes especially at 5' and 3' end. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic carriers of T. whipplei in saliva may exist but their prevalence is much lower than those previously reported. Testing the specificity of designed primers is critical to avoid false positive detection of T. whipplei. In atypical case we recommend to test two different specific target genes before concluding. (+info)
Capnocytophaga cynodegmi peritonitis in a peritoneal dialysis patient.
(31/125)
The first reported case of peritonitis caused by Capnocytophaga cynodegmi is presented. The patient was treated with peritoneal dialysis and had contact with a cat. C. cynodegmi is part of the normal oral flora of dogs and cats but is very rarely isolated in clinical specimens from humans. (+info)
Diversity of Capnocytophaga species in children and description of Capnocytophaga leadbetteri sp. nov. and Capnocytophaga genospecies AHN8471.
(32/125)