Pasteurella species

MICROBIOLOGY

• Aerobic to facultatively anaerobic, non-motile small Gram-negative bacillus or may appear as coccobacillus [Fig 1].
  • Grows best on 5% sheep blood agar at 37°C.
  • Usually catalase- and oxidase-positive.
• Pasteurella multocida is the most common species causing human infection.
  • Other species include P. multocida subspecies septica, P. multocida subsp gallicida, P. canis., P. dagmatis, P. pneumotropica, P. aerogenes and P. stomatis.
  • Typing of usually done by serology examining capsular antigens (A-F) although molecular methods are also capable.
• A common inhabitant of feline > canine oral flora. A frequent cause of illness in rabbits.
• Often part of polymicrobial aerobic and anaerobic flora of domestic pet bite wound infections.
• Pasteurella is usually susceptible to penicillins, tetracyclines or chloramphenicol.