Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Winter;24(4):209-14.
doi: 10.1155/2013/930158.

'Bobo-Newton syndrome': An unwanted gift from man's best friend

Kristin Y Popiel  1 , Donald C Vinh  2
Affiliations

'Bobo-Newton syndrome': An unwanted gift from man's best friend

Kristin Y Popiel et al. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2013 Winter.

Abstract
in English, French

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a facultative Gram-negative bacillus that is typically a constituent of the oral flora of dogs and cats. It was first isolated by Bobo and Newton in 1976 from a man presenting with meningitis following a dog bite. Transmission to humans follows various animal-related injuries, which may be gross or subtle. C canimorsus can cause a spectrum of syndromes ranging from skin and soft tissue infection to invasive disease such as meningitis or endocarditis. The present article reports a case of C canimorsus meningitis in a patient with the classic risk factor of alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Clinical suspicion was confirmed by culture and genetic identification of the blood isolate. The present article reviews the Capnocytophaga genus, the clinical syndromes most commonly associated with this zoonotic organism, its laboratory identification and treatment.

Le Capnocytophaga canimorsus est un bacille Gram négatif facultatif qui fait généralement partie de la flore buccale des chiens et des chats. C’est Bobo et Newton qui l’ont isolé pour la première fois en 1976, chez un homme souffrant d’une méningite après avoir été mordu par un chien. La transmission aux humains est secondaire à plusieurs blessures liées aux animaux, qui peuvent être évidentes ou discrètes. Le C canimorsus peut causer une série de syndromes, de l’infection de la peau et des tissus mous à une maladie invasive comme la méningite ou l’endocardite. Le présent article rend compte d’un cas de méningite à C canimorsus chez un patient ayant les facteurs de risque classiques de cirrhose hépatique alcoolique. La présomption clinique a été confirmée par culture et identification génétique de l’isolat sanguin. Dans le présent article, on trouve une analyse du gène Capnocytophaga, des syndromes cliniques les plus associés à cet organisme zoonotique, de son identification en laboratoire et de son traitement.

Keywords: Capnocytophaga canimorsus; Dog bite; Gram-negative bacillus; Meningitis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
Necrotic eschar of the left index finger, raising concern for an animal bite injury
Figure 2)
Figure 2)
Magnetic resonance image of the brain revealing fluid levels in the ventricles bilaterally with diffusion restriction, suggestive of ventriculitis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bobo RA, Newton EJ. A previously undescribed gram-negative bacillus causing septicemia and meningitis. Am J Clin Pathol. 1976;65:564–9. - PubMed
    1. Brenner DJ, Hollis DG, Fanning GR, Weaver RE. Capnocytophaga canimorsus sp. nov. (formerly CDC group DF-2), a cause of septicemia following dog bite, and C. cynodegmi sp. nov., a cause of localized wound infection following dog bite. J Clin Microbiol. 1989;27:231–5. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Butler T, Weaver RE, Ramani TK, et al. Unidentified Gram-negative rod infection. A new disease of man. Ann Intern Med. 1977;86:1–5. - PubMed
    1. Janda JM, Graves MH, Lindquist D, Probert WS. Diagnosing Capnocytophaga canimorsus infections. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12:340–2. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Leadbetter ER, Holt SC, Socransky SS. Capnocytophaga: New genus of gram-negative gliding bacteria. I. General characteristics, taxonomic considerations and significance. Arch Microbiol. 1979;122:9–16. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources