A bacterium which lives in healthy throats, but which can cause pneumonia if a person’s resistance is lowered by a bout of flu.
Pleomorphic species seen in acute and chronic infections of respiratory tract (especially bronchitis), in which area it may also appear commensally. Requires both X and V factors; produces very small colonies which may show satellitism round colonies of other genera—e.g.. Staphylococcus. Of the smooth forms of this species 6 serotypes occur, dependent upon capsular antigens.
A bacterium that is a common cause of respiratory infections. Strains of the bacteria commonly colonize the upper airways of adults and may colonize the lower respiratory tract of people with chronic bronchitis.
This bacterium is responsible for causing numerous cases of infectious diseases like epiglottitis and meningitis.