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. masc. part. adj. actinomycetemcomitans, accompanying an actinomycete

Gender: masculine

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

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 (and not recommended for medical use)

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

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

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

• Notes:
  • ❗ Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans is the correct name instead 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.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "human pathogen". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 2. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "ht". — The risk group for Taiwan has been imported on 2024-11-03. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "P650 = v". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 48 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙅 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.
  • 🧍 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.

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.

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://lpsn.dsmz.de/species/haemophilus-actinomycetemcomitansCopy to clipboardLink copied to clipboard

Record number: 776642