Escherichia albertii is a Gram-negative species of bacteria within the same genus as E. coli. It was recognised to cause disease after being isolated from the stools of children with diarrhea in Bangladesh,[1][2] and was originally thought to be Hafnia alvei based on biochemical assays.[1] The bacterium was reclassified in 2003 as a novel species based on its genetic features,[3][4] and was named E. albertii in honour of the microbiologist who first described the species.[5] E. albertii differs from typical E. coli in being nonmotile and unable to ferment lactose.
Escherichia albertii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
Order: | Enterobacterales |
Family: | Enterobacteriaceae |
Genus: | Escherichia |
Species: | E. albertii
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Binomial name | |
Escherichia albertii (Huys et al. 2003)
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As a human gastrointestinal pathogen, E. albertii is often linked to food- or water-borne outbreaks of disease,[6][7] and can cause sporadic cases of bacteraemia.[8] The species may be misidentified as Enteropathogenic E. coli due to its production of intimin.[9][10] It is also responsible for disease or subclinical infection in domestic and wild birds, where it may be a reservoir for human disease.[6][11][12][13]