Eight isolates of yellow pigmented, aerogenic and anaerogenic Gram-negative rods from human sources were characterized and identified as Erwinia. There were few definitive diagnostic criteria. Some isolates resembled Enterobacter, Serratia, or H2S negative Citrobacter. Electron microscopy revealed lateral peritrichous flagella which often appeared to be polar using light microscopy. Pigment production did not appear to be a stable characteristic, as one isolate was colorless. There was no evidence that the Erwiniae isolated from the seven patients in this study could be implicated as primary pathogens. The isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin but sensitive to antibiotics commonly used for Gram-negative organisms. The capacity of Erwinia for opportunistic invasion suggests a need for an increasing awareness of these organisms in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
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Tilton et al. (1971) studied this question.