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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 June 2016
The genus Capnocytophaga includes three bacterial species: Capnocytophaga ochracea, Capnocytophaga sputigena, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis. Although occasionally found in soil and water, the predominant natural habitat of Capnocytophaga species is the human oropharynx. These organisms are also found throughout the human gastrointestinal tract as well as in the vagina. Initially implicated only in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease, Capnocytophaga has recently been recognized both as an opportunistic pathogen in the immunocompromised host and also as a pathogen associated with a variety of infections in the immunocompetent host. The protean manifestations of infection and the enlarging pathogenic spectrum of Capnocytophaga. disease mandate a high index of diagnostic suspicion on the part of the clinician.