Name: Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Potts et al. 1985

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: "Bacterium actinomycetemcomitans" Klinger 1912

Etymology: ac.ti.no.my.ce.tem.com.i.tans. Gr. fem. n. aktis (gen. aktînos), a ray; Gr. masc. n. mykês (gen. mykêtos), mushroom or other fungus; N.L. masc. n. Actinomyces, an actinomycete; L. pres. part. comitans, accompanying; N.L. part. adj. actinomycetemcomitans, accompanying an actinomycete

Gender: masculine

Type strain: ATCC 33384; CCUG 13227; CIP 52.106; DSM 8324; NCTC 9710

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: M75039 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Potts TV, Zambon JJ, Genco RJ. Reassignment of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans to the genus Haemophilus as Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:337-341.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym

Correct name: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Nørskov-Lauritsen and Kilian 2006

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Bacterium actinomycetemcomitans" Klinger 1912	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Topley and Wilson 1929 (Approved Lists 1980)	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Nørskov-Lauritsen and Kilian 2006	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Notes:
  • Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans is the correct name if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Haemophilus.
  • According to Bartlett et al. (2022), this species is an established human pathogen. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology 2022; 168:0.
  • Transfer from the genus Actinobacillus is "not favored" by ICSB Subcommittee (IJSB 37, 474). Publication: Frederiksen W. ICSB, Subcommittee on Pasteurellaceae and related organisms: Minutes of the meetings, 6 and 10 September 1986, Manchester, England. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1987; 37:474.
  • However, the statement 'is not favoured', nomenclaturally, does not affect the formal validity of the proposed transfer, and Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans are both legitimate names for the same species. In 2006, Nørskov-Lauritsen and Kilian [2] transfer this taxon to the genus Aggregatibacter as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Nørskov-lauritsen and Kilian 2006, comb. nov. (see below). Publication: Norskov-Lauritsen N, Kilian M. Reclassification of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Haemophilus aphrophilus, Haemophilus paraphrophilus and Haemophilus segnis as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans gen. nov., comb. nov., Aggregatibacter aphrophilus comb. nov. and Aggregatibacter segnis comb. nov., and emended description of Aggregatibacter aphrophilus to include V factor-dependent and V factor-independent isolates. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2006; 56:2135-2146.
  • The inclusion of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Topley and Wilson 1929 (Approved Lists 1980) in the genus Haemophilus Winslow et al. 1917 (Approved Lists 1980) as Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans (Klinger 1912) Potts et al. 1985 is not favoured by the subcommittee on Pasteurellaceae [1]. Publication: Frederiksen W. ICSB, Subcommittee on Pasteurellaceae and related organisms: Minutes of the meetings, 6 and 10 September 1986, Manchester, England. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1987; 37:474.
  • The full TRBA 466 classification is: risk group = 2, note = "ht".

Parent taxon: Haemophilus corrig. Winslow et al. 1917 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Potts TV, Zambon JJ, Genco RJ. Reassignment of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans to the genus Haemophilus as Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:337-341.

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Record number: 776642