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Yersinia pestis on CIN agar |
This photograph depicts the colonial morphology displayed by Gram-negative Yersinia pestis bacteria, which was grown on a medium of Cefsulodin Irgasan Novobiocin (CIN) agar, for a 48 hour time period, at a temperature of 25°C.
This organism is pathogenic towards humans, and is responsible for causing the disease known as plague.
People usually get plague from being bitten by a rodent flea, such as Xenopsylla cheopis, that is carrying the plague bacterium or by handling an infected animal. Millions of people in Europe died from plague in the Middle Ages, when human homes and places of work were inhabited by flea-infested rats. Today, modern antibiotics are effective against plague, but if an infected person is not treated promptly, the disease is likely to cause illness or death.
Text: CDC
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Microscopy:
Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rods. |
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