Leptospira

This article is about the bacteria. For the infection, see leptospirosis.

Leptospira
Scanning electron micrograph of Leptospira interrogans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Spirochaetota
Class: Spirochaetia
Order: Leptospirales
Family: Leptospiraceae
Genus: Leptospira
Noguchi 1917 non Swainson 1840 non Boucot, Johnson & Staton 1964
Type species
Leptospira interrogans
(Stimson 1907) Wenyon 1926
Species

See text

Leptospira (from Ancient Greek λεπτός (leptós) 'fine, thin, narrow, etc.' and Latin spira 'coil')[1] is a genus of spirochaete bacteria, including a small number of pathogenic and saprophytic species.[2] Leptospira was first observed in 1907 in kidney tissue slices of a leptospirosis victim who was described as having died of "yellow fever".[3]

  1. ^ "leptospirosis". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. Bartleby.com. 2000. Archived from the original on 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2007-05-13.
  2. ^ Ryan KJ; Ray CG, eds. (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-0-8385-8529-0.
  3. ^ Stimson AM (1907). "Note on an organism found in yellow-fever tissue". Public Health Reports. 22 (18): 541. doi:10.2307/4559008. JSTOR 4559008.