Other Gram Negative Bacilli

Legionella

 non–spore-forming, faintly staining, thin,

gram-negative bacilli
 found in the environment in association with
water
 isolated on BCYE agar supplemented with
growth factors, including l-cystine, ferric
salt, and α-ketoglutarate.
Legionella

 Organisms are also widely distributed in man-made facilities,

including air-conditioning ducts and cooling towers; potable water;
large, warm-water plumbing systems; humidifiers; whirlpools; and
technical medical equipment in hospitals.
 Legionella

 incubatedfor at least 5 days in a humid

atmosphere containing no more than 2%–
5% CO2.
 weakly oxidase and catalase positive, are
gelatinase positive, and often are motile
Bordetella

 strictly aerobic, nonfermentative, catalase-positive, minute coccobacilli requiring

nicotinic acid, cysteine, and usually methionine
 Bordetella bronchiseptica - kennel cough in dogs.
 Bordetella parapertussis - an uncommon human pathogen
 Bordetella pertussis - whooping cough
 Bordetella

 most commonly recommended specimen is the nasopharyngeal swab

 For shipment to reference laboratories:
 the
inoculated medium should be incubated for at least 24 hours in
ambient air at 35° C prior to transport
 Colonies may not be visible for 3–4 days
 Bordetella

 B.pertussis are small, smooth, round, and shiny and may have the
appearance of a drop of mercury.
 B.parapertussis grows more rapidly and will grow on blood agar and
occasionally on MacConkey’s agar.
 B. bronchiseptica grows well on both blood and MacConkey’s agars and is
the most biochemically active of the three.
Bordetella

Regan Lowe Bordet Gengou

 Brucella

 small,gram-negative coccobacillary
organisms
 having the appearance of sand.
 nonmotile, strictly aerobic, catalase-
and usually oxidase-positive
 Nonfermenters
 Brucella

 enhanced by the presence of 5%–10% CO2

 Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Brucella suis, and Brucella
canis are human pathogens
 common risk factor is consumption of imported cheese made from
unpasteurized goat’s milk.
 positive for catalase, oxidase, and urease.
 Human disease is called undulant fever, Malta fever, Bang’s
disease, Gibraltar fever, and Mediterranean fever
 Brucella

Inhibition by
Time to
CO2 H2S Thionine Basic Fuchsin
positive urease

B. abortus 2 hrs + + + -
B. mellitensis 2 hrs - - - -
B. suis 15 mins - - - +
B. canis 15 mins - - - +
 Pasteurella

 Pasteurellae are facultatively anaerobic,

indole-, oxidase- and catalase-positive,
 nonmotile, gram-negative bacteria that
range morphologically from coccobacilli
to long filamentous rods.
 bipolar staining
 Pasteurella

 commensals in the upper respiratory tracts of fowl and mammals

 frequently isolated from animal bite or scratch wounds.
 gram-negative bacillus that grows on blood agar only
 oxidase and indole positive and ortho-Nitrophenyl-β-galactoside (ONPG)
 Susceptible to penicillin
 Francisella

 F. tularensis is a very small,

strictly aerobic, coccoid to
pleomorphic rodshaped,
gram-negative bacillus that
requires cystine or cysteine
for growth.
 Faint bipolar staining occurs
with aniline dyes.
 Francisella

 Trappers, hunters, fur and meat

industry workers, agricultural
workers, and laboratory personnel
are at greatest risk.
 grows on glucose-cysteine agar
supplemented with 5%
defibrinated rabbit blood,
chocolate agar with IsoVitalX, or
BCYE agar.
 Gardnerella

 thin, gram-variable rod or coccobacillus

 Catalase negative, and nonmotile.
 Growthis best observed after 48 hours of incubation in a 5%
CO2-enriched atmosphere.
 Colonies are small and exhibit β-hemolysis on media containing
rabbit or human blood.
 Gardnerella

 direct examination of vaginal

secretions for the presence of clue
cells
 pH greater than 4.5
 fishy amine odor after addition of
10% potassium hydroxide (KOH)
to the secretions
Streptobacillus moniliformis

 isa gram-negative bacillus that requires media containing blood,

serum, or ascites fluid as well as incubation under carbon dioxide
(CO2) for isolation from clinical specimens.
 This organism causes rat-bite fever and Haverhill fever in humans.
 Spirillum minus has never been grown in culture but, because both are
causative agents of rat-bite fever
Streptobacillus moniliformis