Name: Serratia fonticola Gavini et al. 1979 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: fon.ti’co.la. L. masc. n. fons (gen. fontis), spring, fountain; L. masc./fem. n. suff. -cola, dweller; from L. masc./fem. n. incola, dweller; N.L. masc./fem. n. fonticola, spring-dweller

Pronunciation, gender: fon-TI-ko-la, feminine

Type strain: 11; ATCC 29844; CCUG 14186; CCUG 37824; CIP 78.64; DSM 4576; HAMBI 1274; IAM 1242; JCM 1242; LMG 7882; NBRC 102597; NCTC 12965

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AJ233429 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Gavini F, Ferragut C, Izard D, Trinel PA, Leclerc H, Lefebvre B, Mossel DAA. Serratia fonticola, a new species from water. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1979; 29:92-101.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

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

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Serratia glossinae Geiger et al. 2010	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Kämpfer and Glaeser 2015 Kampfer P, Glaeser SP. Serratia glossinae Geiger et al. 2010 is a later synonym of Serratia fonticola Gavini et al. 1979. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:1406-1408. Oren A, Garrity GM. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 65, part 5 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:2343-2344.
    Notes:
    • 🫂 Emendation accompanied by a proposal regarding the synonymy of the species.

• Notes:
  • ⏰ According to Kämpfer and Gläser (2015), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Serratia glossinae Geiger et al. 2010. Publication: Kampfer P, Glaeser SP. Serratia glossinae Geiger et al. 2010 is a later synonym of Serratia fonticola Gavini et al. 1979. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:1406-1408.
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "ht+". — 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 131 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙆 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 pathogenicity 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.

Parent taxon: Serratia Bizio 1823 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Gavini F, Ferragut C, Izard D, Trinel PA, Leclerc H, Lefebvre B, Mossel DAA. Serratia fonticola, a new species from water. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1979; 29:92-101.

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Record number: 780873