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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Serratia marcescens subsp. marcescens
Category: Motile
Etymology: Genus name: named after the Italian physicist Serafino Serrati
Species epithet: to decay
Significance:  [Of minor importance]   
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Pseudomonadota
Class
Gammaproteobacteria
Order
Enterobacterales
Family
Yersiniaceae 
Genus
Serratia
Type Strain: ATCC 13880 = CCUG 1647 = NCTC 10211.
Macromorphology (smell): Forms opaque colonies, which can be pigmented (pink to red) or non-pigmented.
Micromorphology: Motile rods (0,5-0,8 x 0,9-2,0 µm) with peritrichous flagella
Gram +/Gram -:G-
Metabolism: Facultatively anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:+/-
Other Enzymes: Citrate +, DNase +, tryptophanase -
Biochemical Tests: Esculinase +, methyl red +, Voges-Proskauer +
Fermentation of carbohydrates:
D-glucose
+
lactose
?
maltose
+
L-rhamnose
-
sucrose
?
L-arabinose
-
cellobiose
-
D-mannitol
+
salicin
?
trehalose
+
glycerol
?
inulin
?
raffinose
?
D-sorbitol
+
starch
?
Can also ferment xylitol.
Spec. Char.:
Special Media:
Disease:
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
CattleMastitisOpportunist, which in rare cases can cause bovine mastitis
ChickensSepticaemiaOpportunist, which in rare cases can cause septicaemia in chickens
HumansNosocomial infectionsOpportunist, which can cause infections in connection with hospitalisation such as pneumonia, cystitis, osteitis and wound infection
16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
AJ233431 (T) 1505  

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Serratia marcescens  
About 20 species have been described within genus Serratia, but it is almost only S. marcescens, which is pathogenic.
Reference(s): No. 174
Updated:2023-03-29

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