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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Clostridium haemolyticum
Categories: Causes hemolysis; spore forming; motile
Etymology: Genus name: a small spindle.
Species epithet: blood-dissolving, hemolytic.
Significance:Is not important in Sweden, but in the USA and in South America.
  [Of minor importance]   
Alternative Species Name(s):Clostridium novyi typ D
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Bacillota
Class
Clostridia
Order
Clostridiales
Family
Clostridiaceae 
Genus
Clostridium
Type Strain: ATCC 9650 = NCTC 13022
Macromorphology (smell):
Clostridium haemolyticum  Clostridium haemolyticum  
Form small colonies (1-3 mm i diameter), which can easily float together to form a continuous carpet on the plate (the bacteria "swarm"). Give strong hemolysis on blood agar.
Micromorphology: Large motile rods (0.6-1.6 x 1.9-17.3 µm), which have peritrichous flagella. Form oval subterminal spores, which result in swollen cells.
Gram +/Gram -:
Clostridium haemolyticum  
G+, but it is difficult to get good result upon gram staining of old cultures.
Metabolism: Anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:-/
Other Enzymes: Esculinase -, lecithinase +, tryptophanase +
Fermentation of carbohydrates:
D-glucose
?
lactose
-
maltose
(-)
L-rhamnose
(-)
sucrose
-
L-arabinose
-
cellobiose
-
D-mannitol
-
salicin
-
trehalose
(-)
glycerol
?
inulin
-
raffinose
(-)
D-sorbitol
-
starch
-
Other carbohydrates: Fructose v, galactose -, mannose v, ribose v, xylose -.
Spec. Char.: Optimal growth temperature: 37°C.
Special Media:
Disease:Bacillary haemoglobinuria in cattle (= redwater).
Hosts: Cattle and other ruminants
Clinical Picture: Abdominal pain, anemia, dehydration, fever.
16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
AB037910 ATCC 9650T 1 465  

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Clostridium haemolyticum  
About 180 differens species have been descibed within genus Clostridium. C. haemolyticum is very closely related (phylogenetically) to C. botulinum group III and C. novyi.
Updated:2023-03-08

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