Clostridium bifermentans (Paraclostridium bifermentans)

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Gram stain Culture

General information
- Taxonomy
  Family: Clostridiaceae
  Genus: Paraclostridium bifermentans
  Formely: Bacillus bifermentans
  
  Natural habitats
  Ubiquitous nature, due to their ability to form resistant endospores.
  They are commonly found in soil, feces, sewage, and marine sediments.
  
  Clinical significance
  Clinical specimens including wounds, abscesses, and blood.
Gram stain
- Large Gram positive rods,
  
  0.6-1.9 x 1.6-11.0 µm,
  
  with blunt ends, and have many free spores.
  
  They occur singly, in pairs or short chains.
  (resembling C. sordellii)
  
  Spores oval / central or subterminal
  Swelling of the cell negative
Culture characteristics
- Obligate anaerobic
  
  BBAØ: colonies are 0.5-4 mm, circular with irregular margins, flat or raised, lobate or scalloped, translucent or opaque, granular or slightly mottled, gray, shiny, and smooth.
  
  Most strains are β-hemolytic
  (resembling C. sordellii)
  
  EYA: chalk-white colonies
Characteristics
References
- James Versalovic et al.(2011) Manual of Clinical Microbiology 10th Edition