A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics

Introduction: Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the oral flora of dogs and cats, transmitted to humans through bites, licks, or scratches. Infections can lead to severe manifestations, including meningitis, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Case Presentatio...

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Main Authors: Adrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven, Josephus Johannes Kerremans, Tjerk Joppe Lagrand
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2024-10-01
Series:Case Reports in Neurology
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Online Access:https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/541631
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author Adrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven
Josephus Johannes Kerremans
Tjerk Joppe Lagrand
author_facet Adrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven
Josephus Johannes Kerremans
Tjerk Joppe Lagrand
author_sort Adrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the oral flora of dogs and cats, transmitted to humans through bites, licks, or scratches. Infections can lead to severe manifestations, including meningitis, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Case Presentation: A 46-year-old immunocompetent man presented with somnolence, headache, and fever after being licked by his dog. Neurological examination revealed signs of meningeal irritation, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed an elevated white cell count and protein levels consistent with bacterial meningitis. Treatment followed Dutch guidelines with amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, and dexamethasone, resulting in rapid clinical improvement. Microbiological confirmation of C. canimorsus followed later. The patient was treated with antibiotics for the duration of 1 week and remained symptom-free after being discharged. Conclusion: C. canimorsus meningitis, although rare, poses diagnostic challenges due to its variable presentation and slow growth in culture. Empirical therapy guided by susceptibility testing contributes to favorable outcomes. This case underscores the importance of considering a C. canimorsus infection in patients with animal exposure and of taking diagnostic findings, precedent, and clinical response into account when determining the treatment duration.
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spelling doaj-art-0df3b830a50f45d7a6387cb7b5a617ec2025-08-20T01:47:23ZengKarger PublishersCase Reports in Neurology1662-680X2024-10-0116126927310.1159/000541631541631A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of AntibioticsAdrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven0Josephus Johannes Kerremans1Tjerk Joppe Lagrand2Department of Neurology, Alrijne Ziekenhuis, Leiderdorp, The NetherlandsDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Alrijne Ziekenhuis, Leiderdorp, The NetherlandsDepartment of Neurology, Alrijne Ziekenhuis, Leiderdorp, The NetherlandsIntroduction: Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the oral flora of dogs and cats, transmitted to humans through bites, licks, or scratches. Infections can lead to severe manifestations, including meningitis, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Case Presentation: A 46-year-old immunocompetent man presented with somnolence, headache, and fever after being licked by his dog. Neurological examination revealed signs of meningeal irritation, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed an elevated white cell count and protein levels consistent with bacterial meningitis. Treatment followed Dutch guidelines with amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, and dexamethasone, resulting in rapid clinical improvement. Microbiological confirmation of C. canimorsus followed later. The patient was treated with antibiotics for the duration of 1 week and remained symptom-free after being discharged. Conclusion: C. canimorsus meningitis, although rare, poses diagnostic challenges due to its variable presentation and slow growth in culture. Empirical therapy guided by susceptibility testing contributes to favorable outcomes. This case underscores the importance of considering a C. canimorsus infection in patients with animal exposure and of taking diagnostic findings, precedent, and clinical response into account when determining the treatment duration.https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/541631capnocytophaga canimorsusbacterial meningitiszoonosisantibiotic treatmentcase report
spellingShingle Adrienne Elisabeth van der Hoeven
Josephus Johannes Kerremans
Tjerk Joppe Lagrand
A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
Case Reports in Neurology
capnocytophaga canimorsus
bacterial meningitis
zoonosis
antibiotic treatment
case report
title A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
title_full A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
title_fullStr A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
title_full_unstemmed A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
title_short A Rare Case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Successful Outcome with a Short Course of Antibiotics
title_sort rare case of capnocytophaga canimorsus meningitis in an immunocompetent patient a successful outcome with a short course of antibiotics
topic capnocytophaga canimorsus
bacterial meningitis
zoonosis
antibiotic treatment
case report
url https://beta.karger.com/Article/FullText/541631
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