FAMILY LACTOBACTERIACEAE 



311 



Jour. Inf. Dis., 58, 1936, 1.) From Latin 

 morbus, disease; M. L. vwrhilli, measles. 



Spheres : 0.6 to 0.8 micron, occurring in 

 short chains, rarely in small masses. 

 Gram-positive. 



This organism does not develop on 

 ordinary culture media. The addition of 

 fresh serum or ascitic fluid is necessary. 



Gelatin : No liquefaction. 



Serum agar colonies : Very small, punc- 

 tiform, appearing after 5 to 22 days. No 

 gas produced. 



Glucose agar containing ascitic fluid 

 and blood : Colonies are slightly larger 

 and appear more rapidly ; greenish. 



Blood agar colonies : Surrounded by a 

 greenish halo. May be large and moist. 

 Gas not produced. 



Broth: Very poor growth. 



Hemolysed blood broth: Growth fioc- 

 culent, leaving the liquid clear. 



Milk: Unchanged by most strains. 

 .Acidified and coagulated by four strains. 



Indole not formed. 



Bile : Not soluble in bile. 



Acid from glucose, sucrose and 

 maltose. 



Temperature relations : Optimum 

 37°C. Killed in 45 minutes at 57°C. 

 Withstands — 2°C for two weeks. 



Strict anaerobe. Most strains become 

 microaerophilic with transfers. 



Distinctive characters: Greenish col- 

 onies on blood media; poor growth on 

 ordinary media. 



Source : Isolated from the throat and 

 blood in measles. 



Habitat: Nose, throat, eyes, ears, mu- 

 cous secretions and blood from cases of 

 measles. 



