[Clinical bacteriologist faces a taxonomical problem: Moraxella, Achromobacter, Acinetobacter].

The clinical bacteriologist faces a taxonomical problem concerning a group of Gram-negative, non-chromogenous, oxydase-negative bacilli, isolated on MacConkey agar and which produce no modification of Kligler medium (glucose, lactose, SH2).A review of the literature on the subject is made and allows the authors to adopt M. Piechaud's nomenclature, which uses the term Moraxella and divides this genus in two groups:group I, oxydase-positive, is briefly discussed;group II, oxydase-negative, contains two species:(a) Moraxella lwoffi, which is synonymous with Mima polymorpha, Achromobacter, and Acinetobacter lwoffi,(b) Moraxella glucidolytica, also termed Herellea vaginicola, B5W, Bacterium anitratum, Achromobacter, and Acinetobacter anitratum.Table III is suggested for the differential diagnosis of these Gram-negative bacteria of medical interest, which do not belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae. This diagram also indicates the position that the authors think Moraxella, Achromobacter, and Acinetobacter sh...