Pathogenic Anaerobic Organisms of the Actinomyces Group

In 1935 a report (No. 203) was issued of Miss Erikson's study of aerobic types of Actinomyces. The present report deals with results of her study of anaerobic organisms of that group. The study covers twenty anaerobic or micro-aerophilic Actinomyces strains, fifteen being of human and five of bovine origin. The bovine strains (Actinomyces bovis) were found to be essentially identical and different from the human strains, which also form one group with only minor variations. Miss Erikson's human type corresponds to the original Wolff-Israel type (Actinomyces israeli) and to the majority of reported strains of human origin. The report will be of much value to future workers on the etiology of actinomycotic diseases. It is important that new cultures of Actinomyces be submitted to some permanent collection for identification and preservation for further study.