Capnocytophaga canimorsus, formerly designated Dysgonic fermenter 2 (DF-2) was first described in 1976; it is a commensal bacterium of dogs and cats saliva, which can be transmitted to man by bite (54% of cases), scratch (8.5%), or mere exposure to animals (27%). We present a review of the clinical and microbiological characteristics of the Capnocytophaga canimorsus infections and 12 cases of infection in France. Over 100 cases of human infections have been reported, mainly septicemia in patients with diminished defences, due to splenectomy (33%), alcohol abuse (24%), immunosuppression (5%). However 40% of septicemia occur in patients with no predisposing conditions. Other infections are less frequent: meningitis, endocarditis, arthritis, pleural and localized eye infections. These infections range from mild to fulminating disease, with shock, respiratory distress, disseminated intravascular coagulation. Dermatological lesions (macular or maculopapular rash, purpura) or gangrene are common. This fastidious Gram-negative bacterium grows slowly on chocolate agar or on heart infusion agar with 5% rabbit blood incubated in 5% CO2. In spite of a great susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics, the mortality is of 30%. Because of the severity of these infections, taking into account this organism in the management of bites is necessary, especially in patients with predisposing factors.

The identification of Pasteurella and related bacteria remains a challenge. Here, a 449-to 473-bp fragment (sodA int ) internal to the sodA gene, encoding the manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase, was amplified and sequenced with a single pair of degenerate primers from the type strains of Pasteurella (18 strains), Gallibacterium (1 strain), and Mannheimia (5 strains) species. The sodA int -based phylogenetic tree was in general agreement with that inferred from the analysis of the corresponding 16S rRNA gene sequences, with members of the Pasteurella sensu stricto cluster (Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella canis, Pasteurella dagmatis, and Pasteurella stomatis) forming a monophyletic group and Gallibacterium and Mannheimia being independent monophyletic genera. However, the sodA int sequences showed a markedly higher divergence than the corresponding 16S rRNA genes, confirming that sodA is a potent target to differentiate related species. Thirty-three independent human clinical isolates phenotypically assigned to 13 Pasteurella species by a reference laboratory were successfully identified by comparing their sodA int sequences to those of the type species. In the course of this work, we identified the first Gallibacterium anatis isolate ever reported from a human clinical specimen. The sodA int sequences of the clinical isolates displayed less than 2.5% divergence from those of the corresponding type strains, except for the Pasteurella pneumotropica isolates, which were closely related to each other (>98% sodA int sequence identity) but shared only 92% sodA int identity with the type strain. The method described here provides a rapid and accurate tool for species identification of Pasteurella isolates when access to a sequencing facility is available.

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A Pasteurella multocida human isolate was resistant to beta-lactams because of production of ROB-1 beta-lactamase. The beta-lactamase was encoded by a 4.3-kb plasmid closely related to that of a Pasteurella bovine strain, as shown by Sau3A restriction profile and hybridization with a plasmid probe containing the blaROB-1 gene.

Forty strains of Actinobucillirs lignieresii, Ac-tinohucillirs eqiruli, Actinohucillirs siris, Actinohncillus capsulatirs, and Pasteurella irreue were 30 to 100% related as determined by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA hybridization (S1 nuclease method) and could be subdivided into five DNA hybridization groups. The DNA relatedness among A . siris, A . eqitirli. and P . irrene strains is indicative of some overlap among these three species. A comparison of DNA relatedness data with phenetic data showed that no single test can definitely separate A . siris from A . rquirli. "Ac'tirtohii('i1lii~s sulpingitidis." the Ac.tinobac.il1ir.s sp. described by Ross et al. (Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 22:39-46, 1972), "A~~tiriohat~il1ir.s seminis," Actinohucillus actinomyce t em co m i tu ns , Pn s t e ir re lla m i r lto c-idu , Po s t 4 11 re lln h u e m 00) ticu , Pus t e it relln N erog en es , P N s t eit rella g a 11 ina rir m , Pus t err rella p n P ir m o trop icu , "Pus te ir rella he t ti, ' ' " P a s tr ir re1 1 ci N n N tipes t ijie r , " and Paste we1 la testitdinis were only 0 to 11% related to P . iireue, A . siris, A . ryuitli, A . cupsulutirs, and A . lignieresii.Only two species of the genus Actinobacillirs Brumpt 1910 (6), Actinohucillits lignieresii and Actirrohuc~illirs q i r i r l i , were recognized in Bergey 's Manirul of Determincrtii,e Bcicteriology, 8th ed. (22). Ac-tinohacillirs c*upsirlatiis and Actiriobacillirs actinornycetemc~omitcrns were listed as species incertae sedis (22). All of the above-mentioned species appeared on the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (26).' ' A c't in o bu c-illiis s em in is" ( 1 , ' ' A c t in o ha cd1ir.s s 11 lp ing it idis" (17), and an Actinohacillirs sp. described by Ross et a].(25) have not been validated as yet.The present classification within the P(i.str.irr.Plliic.Pcrc. is based on phenotypic characteristics and the isolation sources of strains. Pasteirrella irrene (16) has been found to be genetically close to A . eqituli and Actinobuc.illirs siris (24). Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) relatedness data, based on several methods, have included either many species represented by a single strain or very few strains (24) or very few species (7, 8,29).The purpose of the present study was to determine the DNA relatedness among 52 strains of Actinobuc.i/lirs species and P . weue that were included in a numerical taxonomy study (la). Reference strains of A . at.tinornyc~etemc.olnitnit~ins and nine Pastciirella species were included to delineate the genus Artinobacillus. MATERIALS AND METHODSBacterial strains. The 63 strains used in this study are listed in Table 1. During the period of this study, the strains were maintained on a medium containing 10 g of heart pancreatic peptone (Biokar, La Plaine Saint-Denis, France), 10 g of meat trypsic peptone (Biokar), 5 g of NaCI, 15 g of agar (Biokar), and distilled water to a volume of 1 liter (pH 7.6). Before extraction of DNA, the strains were checked for purity by streaking onto trypto casein soy agar (Institut Pasteur Pro...