Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae (formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or Bacillus influenzae) is a Gram-negative, coccobacillary, facultatively anaerobic capnophilic pathogenic bacterium of the family Pasteurellaceae. H. influenzae was first described in 1892 by Richard Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic.[1] He incorrectly described Haemophilus influenzae as the causative microbe, which retains "influenza" in its name.[2][3]
Haemophilus influenzae | |
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H. influenzae on a chocolate agar plate | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
Order: | Pasteurellales |
Family: | Pasteurellaceae |
Genus: | Haemophilus |
Species: | H. influenzae |
Binomial name | |
Haemophilus influenzae (Lehmann & Neumann 1896) Winslow et al. 1917 | |
Haemophilus influenzae infection | |
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Haemophilus influenzae satellite colonies (pin points) near Staphylococcus aureus (yellow) on blood agar plate | |
Specialty | Infectious disease |
The bacterium was argued by some to be the cause of influenza[4] as bacterial influenza. H. influenzae is responsible for a wide range of localized and invasive infections, but influenza is caused by viruses.
This species was the first free-living organism to have its entire genome sequenced.[5]