The Human Skin as a Source of Mima-Herellea Infections

Abstract

BACTERIA of theMima-Herelleagroup were not recognized as distinct and remained undescribed until 1942, when De Bord¹suggested the nameMimeaefor a new tribe of gram-negative, nonmotile organisms which resembled Neisseria morphologically, but differed in biochemical characteristics. He named the two new organismsMima polymorphaandHerellea vaginicola. During subsequent years, other authors reported similar organisms but gave them different names so that the situation became extremely confusing. Synonyms for bacteria in this group include "B5W,"²Bacterium anitratum,³Moraxella glucidolytica,⁴Achromobacter lwoffi,⁵andAcinetobacter anitratum.⁶Reviews of the literature are given by Rosebury in 1962⁷and Daly et al in 1962.⁸ Presumably due to the uncertain taxonomic position of these bacteria, they were not included in the seventh edition ofBergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. This, combined with the confusing variety of synonyms, resulted in failure to identify this group