Pasteurella

A genus of aerobic to facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile bacteria (family Brucellaceae) containing very small, Gram-negative, cocci or ellipsoidal to elongated rods which, with special methods, may show bipolar staining. These organisms are parasites of humans and other animals, including birds. The type species is P. multocida. [L. Pasteur]

- P. aerogenes a species found in swine that may cause human wound infections following pig bites.

- P. multocida a bacterial species that causes fowl cholera and hemorrhagic septicemia in warm-blooded animals and may infect dog or cat bites or scratches and cause cellulitis and septicemia in humans with chronic disease. Most common pathogen associated with cat and dog bites. Cause of pasteurellosis. It is the type species of the genus P..

- P. pestis SYN: Yersinia pestis.

- P. pseudotuberculosis SYN: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

- P. “SP” a rarely encountered organism of problematic taxonomy that can cause infections after a guinea pig bite; human infections are quite rare, probably because the bacterium is not widespread and is of low virulence.

- P. tularensis SYN: Francisella tularensis.

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pas·teu·rel·la .pas-tə-'rel-ə n

1) cap a genus of gram-negative facultatively anaerobic nonmotile rod bacteria of the family Pasteurellaceae that stain differentially at the poles of the cell and include several important pathogens esp. of domestic animals see HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA, YERSINIA

2) pl -las or -lae -.lī any bacterium of the genus Pasteurella

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a genus of small rodlike Gram-negative bacteria that are parasites of animals and humans. The species P. multocida usually infects animals but may be transmitted to humans through bites or scratches.

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Pas·teur·el·la (pas″tər-elґə) [Louis Pasteur] a genus of gram-negative, ovoid to rod-shaped bacteria of the family Pasteurellaceae, consisting of nonmotile, fermentative, aerobic to microaerophilic or facultatively anaerobic organisms. Bipolar staining is common. They are parasitic on many species of mammals and birds, causing abscesses and septicemias in humans and respiratory and septic infections in sheep, cattle, and birds. The type species is P. multociґda.