Legionella steelei sp. nov. isolated from human respiratory specimens in California and South Australia.

Authors: Edelstein PH, Edelstein MA, Shephard LJ, Ward KW, Ratcliff RM Abstract Legionella-like bacteria were isolated from the respiratory tract of two humans in California and South Australia, but not thought to cause disease. These bacteria, strains F2632 and IMVS-3376, were found to have identical Legionella macrophage infectivity potentiator (mip) sequences, and were therefore further characterized to determine their genetic and phenotypic relatedness and properties. Both of these Gram-negative bacterial strains grew on buffered charcoal yeast extract medium, were cysteine auxotrophs, and made a characteristic diffusible bright yellow fluorescent pigment, with one strain making a late appearing colony bound blue white fluorescent pigment. Optimal in vitro growth temperature wa...

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