Which statement about Capnocytophaga is correct according to the listed characteristics?

Which statement about Capnocytophaga is correct according to the listed characteristics?

• A. Grows in ambient air
• B. Nonfermenter
• C. Colonies large and spreading after 2-4 days
• D. Gram positive bacillus

Answer: (C)

Capnocytophaga are capnophilic, slow-growing Gram-negative bacilli. When grown on enriched media like blood agar in increased CO2, they take a couple of days to form visible colonies, and those colonies tend to spread across the surface, becoming large and spreading after about 2–4 days. This distinctive growth pattern—slow development with surface spreading—is the best match for the listed characteristic. They are nonfermenters and do not grow well in ambient air, and they are not Gram-positive, so those statements don’t fit as well as the described colony behavior.

Capnocytophaga are capnophilic, slow-growing Gram-negative bacilli. When grown on enriched media like blood agar in increased CO2, they take a couple of days to form visible colonies, and those colonies tend to spread across the surface, becoming large and spreading after about 2–4 days. This distinctive growth pattern—slow development with surface spreading—is the best match for the listed characteristic. They are nonfermenters and do not grow well in ambient air, and they are not Gram-positive, so those statements don’t fit as well as the described colony behavior.