Characterization of Haemophilus vaginalis, Corynebacterium cervicis, and related bacteria

Abstract

The genital tract bacteria, previously classified as Haemophilus vaginalis and Corynebacterium cervicis and their suggested variant forms, have been characterized by morphology, physiology, and cell wall composition. The strains of H. vaginalis did not form a homogeneous taxonomic group. Only the Dingham strain of Amies and Jones and a Gram-negative culture of strain GP2 of Edmunds were related to the genus Haemophilus. H. vaginalis strain GP7 and the Gram-positive culture of GP2 were corynebacteria. The remaining strains of H. vaginalis were distinct from each other and from the Haemophilus group. None of the strains of C. cervicis could be identified with the genus Corynebacterium. The O strains of C. cervicis were related to the genus Haemophilus, whereas the T strains of C. cervicis and the NCTC strain of H. vaginalis (10287) shared properties with Actinomyces bovis. The two diphtheroids D5 and D17 from a culture of Mycoplasma hominis type 2 (Mycoplasma arthritidis) were dissimilar to each other; D17 was a typical Corynebacterium, whereas D5 was unrelated to the corynebacteria, but similar to the T strains of C. cervicis.