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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum
Category: Causes hemolysis
Etymology: Genus name: small spindle shaped rod.
Species epithet: necrosis producing.
Subspecies epithet: see Species epithet.
Significance:  [Very important]   
Alternative Species Name(s):Bacteroides necrophorus, Fusobacterium necrophorum (Biotyp A)
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Fusobacteria
Class
Fusobacteriia
Order
Fusobacteriales
Family
Fusobacteriaceae 
Genus
Fusobacterium
Type Strain: VPI 2891 = ATCC 25286 = CCUG 9994.
Macromorphology (smell):
   		Small cream-colored metal shiny colonies. Many strains produce an hemolysis zone on blood agar. Smells like rancid butter (or boiled cabbage). Colonies fluoresce in neon green under long-wave UV-light.
Micromorphology: Coccoid rods to thin, needle-shaped filaments. Non-motile.
Gram +/Gram -:
 		G-
Metabolism: Strictly anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:-/-
Other Enzymes: Esculinase -, lipase -, Tryptophanase + (= indole +).
Fermentation of carbohydrates: Butyric acid is produced by fermentation.
Spec. Char.: Temperature optimum: 37°C.
Disease:
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
Cattle and sheepInterdigital dermatitisLame, fever, swollen hoof and sometimes also feedlock, sore, tender and foul-smelling hoof
Often mixed infection with other anaerobic bacteria or T. pyogenes
Cattle

(Affect mostly calves)		Oral necrobacillosis

Calf diphtheria		Necrotic stomatitis, swollen ckeeks, damaged oral mucosa, can also affect the tongue, fever, anorexia and foul smell

Necrotic pharyngitis and laryngitis, difficulty to swallow, fever, salivation, respiratory distress, coughing and foul smell

Most often caused by sticky roughage or tooth loss
CattleLiver abscessesReduced weight gain, mostly diagnosed at slaughter, often secondary to rumenitis. Occasionally, rupture of abscess and perforation to vena cava could lead to infection of other organs and death
CattleMetritisInfection in uterus post-partum. Varies from inapparent infection to purulent exudate, often in association with T. pyogenes
Virulence Factors: Produces a leucotoxin directed against neutrophils and has LPS.
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
Not reported    
16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
AJ867039 ATCC 25286 1455  

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
 		 Within the genus Fusobacteria, 14 species have been described and 2 of these are divided into 7 sub-species. Fusobacteria are related to genus Streptobacillus, but the latter belongs to another family, namely Leptotrichiaceae.
Comment:Can convert lactic acid to propionic acid.
Reference(s): No. 24
Updated:2022-03-07

News

New families introduced within the order Enterobacterales
Phylogenetic tree for the order <i>Enterobacteriales</i>.

The order Enterobacterales (formerly called Enterobacteriales) previously consisted of bacteria with different properties and phylogenetically, these bacteria were far apart. In order for the taxonomy to be more in line with phylogeny, some of these bacteria have, therefore, been sorted into 6 new families.

Published 2022-04-13. Read more...

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