Gemella morbillorum

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Gemella morbillorum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Firmicutes
Class: Bacilli
Order: Bacillales
Family: Staphylococcaceae
Genus: Gemella
Species: Gemella morbillorum

Gemella morbillorum is a strain of bacteria. It is an anerobic gram positive coccus. From its discovery in 1917 (by R. Tunnicliff) until 1988 it was known as Streptococcus morbillorum (it was briefly Peptostreptococcus morbillorum), the name change followed closer examination with DNA filter hybridization (by Kilpper-Balz and Schleifer) which found it was very close to Gemella haemolysans.

It is rarely the cause of disease in humans, although it may be found benignly in the oropharyngeal area. Infections, when found, are similar to viridans Streptococci in range, cases have been reported of endovascular infections (predominantly endocarditis) and also acute invasive infections.