Query: NC_009443:142500 Streptococcus suis 98HAH33, complete genome
Lineage: Streptococcus suis; Streptococcus; Streptococcaceae; Lactobacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: Isolated from a human in Haian County, Jiangsu Province, China, 1998. Causative agent of meningitis, endocarditis, septicemia and arthritis in swine. Streptococci are Gram-positive, nonmotile, nonsporeforming, catalase-negative cocci that occur in pairs or chains. Members of this genus vary widely in pathogenic potential. Most streptococci are facultative anaerobes, and some are obligate anaerobes. Serologic grouping is based on antigenic differences in cell wall carbohydrates, in cell wall pili-associated protein, and in the polysaccharide capsule in group B streptococci. Streptococcus suis is a pathogen of pigs and is responsible for a variety of diseases including meningitis, arthritis and pneumonia. Occasionally this organism can infect humans causing septicemia, meningitis and endocarditis.
Subject: NC_006570:1405178 Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu 4, complete genome
Lineage: Francisella tularensis; Francisella; Francisellaceae; Thiotrichales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This subspecies is virulent in humans, and the strain is a clinical isolate that is also virulent in an animal model. Originally isolated from a human case of tularemia in 1951. There are a large number of insertion sequences including a mariner element, which is a transposon typically found in eukaryotes and is the first instance of this element to be found in a microbe, which may have acquired it during transit through one of the insect vectors. Causative agent of tularemia. This organism was first identified by Edward Francis as the causative agent of a plague-like illness that affected squirrels in Tulare county in California in the early part of the 20th century. The organism now bears his name. The disease, which has been noted throughout recorded history, can be transmitted to humans by infected ticks or deerflies, infected meat, or by aerosol, and thus is a potential bioterrorism agent. This organism has a high infectivity rate, and can invade phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells, multiplying rapidly. Once within a macrophage, the organism can escape the phagosome and live in the cytosol. It is an aquatic organism, and can be found living inside protozoans, similar to what is observed with Legionella.