Bacillus licheniformis

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Gram stain Culture

General information
- B.licheniformis, B.subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens and B.pumilus comprise the subtilis group, which has been associated with food borne gastro-enteritis
  
  Taxonomy
  Family: Bacillaceae
  
  Natural habitats
  Spores occur in soil, dust, water, may survive severe heat treatment
  
  Clinical significance
  Considered non pathogenic, but may occasionally be an opportunistic pathogen.
Gram stain
- Gram positive (variable) rods,
  
  0.6-0.8 x 1.5-3.0 µm
  
  Spore shape: ellipsoidal / cylindrical
  Spore position: central, paracentral or subterminal
  Sporangia swelling: negative
Culture characteristics
- Facultative anaerobic
  
  BA: large blister shaped colonies, folds after drying, is opaque with age with a dull to rough surface, hair-like outgrowths (“licheniform”), attached strongly to the agar, with margins varying from undulate to fimbriate.
  
  Color is whitish and may become brown, nonhemolytic
  Strains isolated from human faeces are hemolytic
  
  McConkey: growth
  
  BBAØ: growth
Characteristics
References
- James Versalovic et al.(2011) Manual of Clinical Microbiology 10th Edition