Fulminant septic shock caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus in Italy: Case report. (July 2018) - Piccinelli, Giorgio
Highlights: Pets transmit Capnocytophaga canimorsus to humans by bites, scratches and licks. Fatal sepsis occurs in asplenic and immunocompromised patients. Capnocytophaga canimorsus can escape detection with standard laboratory cultures. Importance of PCR and sequencing for diagnosis of infection. Clinicians should instruct patients at risk for Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection. Abstract: Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection was recently recognized as a zoonosis. We report the first case of fulminant septic shock in Italy caused by this pathogen. The patient, with a history of splenectomy, died at the main hospital in Brescia with a presumptive diagnosis of sepsis. PCR and sequencing on post mortem samples confirmed C. canimorsus as a causative organism. Our purpose is to alert medical professionals to the virulence of C. canimorsus in asplenic and immunocompromised patients.