Subspecies Mycobacterium chelonae subsp. abscessus

Name: Mycobacterium chelonae subsp. abscessus corrig. (Moore and Frerichs 1953) Kubica et al. 1972 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category, proposed as: subspecies, comb. nov.

Basonym: "Mycobacterium abscessus" Moore and Frerichs 1953

Etymology: abs.ces’sus. L. gen. masc. n. abscessus, of an abscess, referring to the ability of the organism to form abscesses

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: my-ko-bak-TE-ri-um k^he-LO-na͡e abs-KES-sus, neuter

Type strain: ATCC 19977; CCUG 20993; CIP 104536; DSM 43491; DSM 44196; Hauduroy L948; JCM 13569; L948; NCTC 13031; TMC 1543

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AB548599 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Kubica GP, Baess I, Gordon RE, Jenkins PA, Kwapinski JB, McDurmont C, Pattyn SR, Saito H, Silcox V, Stanford JL, et al. A co-operative numerical analysis of rapidly growing mycobacteria. J Gen Microbiol 1972; 73:55-70.

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: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

Correct name: Mycobacterium abscessus (Moore and Frerichs 1953) Kusunoki and Ezaki 1992

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Mycobacteroides abscessus (Moore and Frerichs 1953) Gupta et al. 2018	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, distinct rank
    Mycobacterium abscessus (Moore and Frerichs 1953) Kusunoki and Ezaki 1992	homotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP, distinct rank
    Mycobacterium chelonei subsp. abscessus (Moore and Frerichs 1953) Kubica et al. 1972 (Approved Lists 1980)	other spelling of name, inaccurate spelling
    "Mycobacterium abscessus" Moore and Frerichs 1953	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists, distinct rank

• Notes:
  • ⏰ According to Sassi and Drancourt (2014), this subspecies is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Mycobacteroides abscessus subsp. bolletii (Adékambi et al. 2006) Gupta et al. 2018. Publication: Sassi M, Drancourt M. Genome analysis reveals three genomospecies in Mycobacterium abscessus. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:359. 🇫🇷
  • ⏰ According to Sassi and Drancourt (2014), this subspecies is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Mycobacteroides abscessus subsp. massiliense (Adékambi et al. 2006) Gupta et al. 2018. Publication: Sassi M, Drancourt M. Genome analysis reveals three genomospecies in Mycobacterium abscessus. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:359. 🇫🇷
  • ⏰ According to Sassi and Drancourt (2014), this subspecies is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. bolletii (Adékambi et al. 2006) Leao et al. 2011. Publication: Sassi M, Drancourt M. Genome analysis reveals three genomospecies in Mycobacterium abscessus. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:359. 🇫🇷
  • ⏰ According to Sassi and Drancourt (2014), this subspecies is not an earlier heterotypic synonym of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. massiliense (Adékambi et al. 2006) Tortoli et al. 2016. Publication: Sassi M, Drancourt M. Genome analysis reveals three genomospecies in Mycobacterium abscessus. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:359. 🇫🇷
  • ❗ Mycobacterium chelonae subsp. abscessus is the correct name instead if this subspecies is regarded as a separate subspecies (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another subspecies whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate species Mycobacterium chelonae within a separate genus Mycobacterium.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 2". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Animal classification RG: 2 - 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 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 2, 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.
  • 🙅 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 subspecies. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.
  • 🧍 The original spelling, Mycobacterium chelonei (sic) subsp. abscessus, has been corrected by Hill et al. 1984. Publication: Hill LR, Skerman VBD, Sneath PHA. Corrigenda to the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names edited for the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1984; 34:508-511. 🇬🇧

Parent taxon: Mycobacterium chelonae corrig. Bergey et al. 1923 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Kubica GP, Baess I, Gordon RE, Jenkins PA, Kwapinski JB, McDurmont C, Pattyn SR, Saito H, Silcox V, Stanford JL, et al. A co-operative numerical analysis of rapidly growing mycobacteria. J Gen Microbiol 1972; 73:55-70.

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Record number: 778417