Species ***Legionella* *wadsworthii***

Name: Legionella wadsworthii Edelstein et al. 1983

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: wad.swor’thi.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. wadsworthii, of Wadsworth, named after V.A. Wadsworth Medical Center after James Wadsworth, and the location where the patient was hospitalized and the bacterium isolated

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: le-gi-o-NEL-la wad-SWOR-t^hi-i, feminine

Type strain: ATCC 33877; CCUG 16415; CIP 103886; DSM 21896; NCTC 11532; Wadsworth 81-716A

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: Z49738 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Edelstein PH, Brenner DJ, Moss CW, Steigerwalt AG, Francis EM, George WL. Legionella wadsworthii species nova: a cause of human pneumonia. Ann Intern Med 1982; 97:809-813.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 11. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1983; 33:672-674.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 2

Notes:
- 😷 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. — 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 4 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
- 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as 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 (Reading) 2022; 168:0. 🇬🇧
- 🧍 The genome of the type strain was sequenced as part of the GEBA (Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea) project. Publication: Mukherjee S, Seshadri R, Varghese NJ, Eloe-Fadrosh EA, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Goker M, Coates RC, Hadjithomas M, Pavlopoulos GA, Paez-Espino D, et al. 1,003 reference genomes of bacterial and archaeal isolates expand coverage of the tree of life. Nat Biotechnol 2017; 35:676-683. 🇺🇸

Parent taxon: Legionella Brenner et al. 1979 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Edelstein PH, Brenner DJ, Moss CW, Steigerwalt AG, Francis EM, George WL. Legionella wadsworthii species nova: a cause of human pneumonia. Ann Intern Med 1982; 97:809-813.

Linking: To permanently link to this page, use https://doi.org/10.83108/rn.784124Link copied to clipboard

Record number: 784124

This LPSN page was printed on 2026-08-11 14:17:11

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Species Legionella wadsworthii

Species ***Legionella* *wadsworthii***