486 



ORDER IV. EUBACTERIALES 



nized and described; however, with standardized media, Hare and his associates have di- 

 vided the anaerobic cocci into only nine groups. Thus, future work may show that some or 

 even many of the species here regarded as distinct are, in reality, identical with each other. 

 (See Hare, Wildy, Billett and Twort, Jour. Hyg., 50, 1952, 295; Hare, Atti del VI Congresso 

 Internaz. di Microbiologia, Roma, 1, 1953, 55; and Thomas and Hare, Jour. Clin. Path., 7, 

 1954, 300.) 

 The type species is Veillonella parvula (Veillon and Zuber) Prevot. 



Key to the species of genus Veillonella. 



I. Gas produced in culture media. 



A. Acid from glucose. 



1. Veillonella parvula. 



B. Carbohydrates not attacked. 



1. Rancid odor not produced in broth. 



2. Veillonella alcalescens. 



2. Slight rancid odor produced in broth. 



3. Veillonella discoides. 

 II. Gas not produced in culture media. 



A. Gelatin not liquefied. 



1. Indole produced in trace amounts. Cells measure 0.8 to 1.0 micron in diameter. 



4. Veillonella reniformis. 



2. Indole not produced. Cells measure 1.5 to 2.0 microns in diameter. 



5. Veillonella orbiculus. 



B. Gelatin is liquefied. 



6. Veillonella vulvovaginitidis . 



1. Veillonella parvula (Veillon and 

 Zuber, 1898) Prevot, 1933. {Staphylococcus 

 par villus Veillon and Zuber, Arch. Med. 

 Exp., 1898, 542; Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., 

 S6r. Bot., 15, 1933, 119.) 



par'vu.la. L. dim. adj. parvulus very 

 small. 



Very small spheres, 0.2 to 0.4 micron in 

 diameter, occurring in pairs, in very short 

 chains or in masses. Gram-negative. 



Gelatin: No liquefaction. 



Semi-solid agar (Veillon) colonies: At 

 first punctiform, becoming lenticular, reach- 

 ing a diameter of 2 mm. Gas bubbles pro- 

 duced. 



Blood agar colonies: Usually surrounded 

 by a clear halo; weakly hemolytic. 



Agar slant: Transparent, bluish, minute 

 colonies. 



Peptone broth: Turbid; fine sediment. 



Glucose broth: Turbid. Faintly fetid 

 odor. Gas produced contains CO2 , H2 and 

 H2S. 



Serum broth: Very abundant, rapid 

 growth. 



Milk: No acid. No coagulation. Some 

 strains produce gas. 



Indole is produced. 



Hydrogen sulfide is produced. 



Acid and gas from glucose. Slight amount 

 of acid from fructose, galactose and sucrose. 

 Mannitol, maltose and inulin feebly at- 

 tacked by some strains. 



Nitrites produced from nitrates. 



Coagulated protein not attacked. 



Ammonia not produced. 



Strictly anaerobic. 



Temperature relations: Optimum, 37° C. 

 Feeble growth at 22° C. 



Optimum pH, between 6.5 and 8.0. 



Distinctive characters: Fermentation of 

 polypeptides to produce hydrogen, carbon 

 dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and indole; fer- 

 mentation of sugars; hemolj'sis of blood; 

 production of nitrites from nitrates. 



Source: Isolated by Veillon and Zuber 

 from appendixes, buccal cavities and lungs. 

 Of the 13 strains studied by Prevot, three 

 were isolated from pulmonary gangrene, 

 one from an appendix, one from alveolar 

 pyorrhea, five from amniotic fluid, two from 

 abscesses and pulmonary congestion and 

 one from the buccal cavity of a normal rab- 

 bit. Found in suppurative lesions or pus. 



