title: Lick of death: Capnocytophaga canimorsus is an important cause of sepsis in the elderly.
abstract: A 70-year-old Caucasian woman was treated for Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicaemia. The source of bacteraemia was very likely to be her household pet, an Italian greyhound. The patient presented with a presumed complex partial seizure but deteriorated rapidly with sepsis and multiorgan dysfunction. Neither scratch nor bite was established, although close petting including licks was reported. Blood cultures grew Gram-negative rods, identified by molecular techniques as C. canimorsus-a bacterium frequently isolated in the oral cavities of dogs and cats. A full recovery was made following 2 weeks of intensive care support and broad-spectrum antibiotics. No underlying immune dysfunction was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine for the Elderly, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, UK.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine for the Elderly, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kalman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kafetz
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002206:Capnocytophaga; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000635:transmission*