Mycobacterium mucogenicum

Mycobacterium mucogenicum

Etymology: mucogenicum, from the organism's highly mucoid appearance.

Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile, curved and acid-fast rods.

Colony characteristics
 * Highly mucoid behavior of most strains on solid agar. Smooth and off-white on Middlebrook 7H10 agar

Physiology
 * Rapid growth on Middlebrook 7H10 at 28°C to 37°C, but not at 42°C, within 2 - 4 days.
 * Susceptible to amikacin, imipenem, cefoxitin, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin.
 * Resistant to isoniazid and rifampin.

Pathogenesis

 * Posttraumatic skin infections,
 * catheter sepsis and respiratory isolates without clinical significance except in immunocompromised hosts.
 * Biosafety level 2

Type Strain

 * First isolated in 1976 during an outbreak of peritonitis associated with automated peritoneal dialysis machines in the north-western United States.
 * Strain ATCC 49650 = CCUG 47451 = CIP 105223 = DSM 44625 = JCM 13575.