Clostridium histolyticum (Hathewaya histolytica)

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Gram stain Culture

General information
- Taxonomy
  Family: Clostridiaceae
  Genus: Hathewaya histolytica
  Formely: Clostridium histolytica
  
  Natural habitats
  Isolated from soil, and intestinal contents.
  
  Clinical significance.
  This bacterium is the principal cause of trauma-associated gas gangrene and their incidence increases dramatically in times of war, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other mass casualty conditions.
Gram stain
- Small, Gram positive rods,
  
  0.5-0.9 x 1.3-9.2 µm,
  
  occur single, in pairs or short chains.
  
  Spores oval / central or subterminal
  Swelling of the cell positive (slightly)
Culture characteristics
- Obligate anaerobic / AEROTOLERANT
  
  BBAØ: colonies are 0.5-2mm, β-hemolytic, circular to irregular, flat to low convex, translucent to semiopaque, gray white, shiny with a mosaic or granular surface, and an entire to undulate margin.
  
  The clostridia are classically anaerobic rods, but some species can become aerotolerant on subculture; a few species (C carnis, C histolyticum, and C tertium) can grow under aerobic conditions.
Characteristics
References
- James Versalovic et al.(2011) Manual of Clinical Microbiology 10th Edition