Moraxella catarrhalis is a spherical bacterium that can cause respiratory infections, pneumonia, ear infections, and more. It was previously known as Branhamella, Neisseria, and Micrococcus. It needs oxygen to grow and can develop resistance to antibiotics. It is closely related to the bacterium that causes gonorrhea. Although it was once thought to be harmless, it is now known to be a significant human pathogen. It can infect people by deriving iron from the host, producing proteins that protect it from the host’s immune defenses, and releasing a toxin that helps it infect cells. It can cause a variety of respiratory infections, as well as meningitis, blood poisoning, ear and eye infections, and hospital-acquired infections.
Moraxella catarrhalis is a species of bacteria. Historically known as a species that lived relatively harmlessly in the respiratory tract, it is now known as a significant cause of human diseases such as chest infections, pneumonia, and ear infections. This bacterium is spherical and needs oxygen to grow and is capable of developing resistance to antibiotics.
This species was known as Branhamella catarrhalis. Before that, it was called Neisseria catarrhalis or Micrococcus catarrhalis. The names changed quickly as microbiologists analyzed the species’ traits and found that it suited different groups than previously thought. The advent of genetic testing has led to the more recent name change, as typically a bacterium is classified into groups based on the similarity of their genetic material. The species is a close relative of the bacterium Neisseria gonorrheae that causes the sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhea.
For a long time after its discovery, scientists and medical professionals thought the bacterium was relatively harmless to humans because it lived naturally in the upper respiratory tract. In the 1980s, however, scientists discovered that this species was, in fact, a major human pathogen. A significant proportion of adults, up to about 10%, carry Moraxella catarrhalis in their upper respiratory tract, which includes all of the respiratory tract except the lungs. The species attempts to colonize humans from birth onwards, but most people manage to eliminate colonization.
Under the microscope, Moraxella catarrhalis has the shape of a sphere. It tends to be present as two individual bacteria stuck together, which is known as a diplococcus. Moraxella catarrhalis needs oxygen to grow and has some characteristics that help it infect people. Although different strains of Moraxella catarrhalis have different characteristics, some of the bacterium’s most important capabilities include the ability to derive iron from the host, proteins that protect it from the host’s immune defenses, and a toxin that appears to help it infect cells.
Various respiratory infections can be due to Moraxella catarrhalis. These include non-fatal upper respiratory tract infections in children and the elderly, and can also cause more serious conditions such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Some cases of meningitis or blood poisoning can also be caused by the bacterium. Ear and eye infections are also possible results of the infection. Because the species inhabits a significant portion of the juvenile and adult population, and because some strains may have some resistance to common antibiotics such as penicillin, Moraxella catarrhalis is also an important source of infections in hospitals.
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