Gram stain: negative Cell shape: bacillus Arrangement: Oxygen requirements: aerobe Motility: motile Other: May produce water soluble pigment that spreads through media; usually blue-green or purple; P. fluorescens pigments will glow under UV light.
Habitat: Soil, water, plants; able to survive in any moist environment, including distilled water.
Pathogenicity: Opportunistic pathogen of skin, urinary tract and wounds; important nocosomial infections; can lead to septicemia, abscesses, meningitis, pneumonia. Pseudomonas dermatitis is a self-limiting rash of approx. 2 weeks duration, transmission via pools, saunas and hot tubs: the hot water actually facilitates entry of the organism into hair follicles; also can cause otitis externa in the same manner. Can cause respiratory infections in immunocompromised individuals such as those with chronic pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.
Transmission: direct contact; even transmitted via plants and flowers sent to patients.
Treatment: carboxypenicillins (carbenicillin and ticarcillin), aminoglycosides (gentamicin), silver sulfadiazine for burn infections, quinolones (ciprofloxacin - inhibits DNA replication).
*Associated with food spoilage; this organism can grow easily at refrigerator temperatures and causes slime to form on foods (i.e., chicken and vegetables).
Unusually resistant to chemical activity and grows actively in some disinfectants and antimicrobics; resistant to many antimicrobics. Exhibits unusual metabolic characteristics: can utilize products for respiration such as toluene, camphor, petroleum, pesticides and soaps. Although considered an aerobe this organism can utilize anaerobic pathways and use NO3- (nitrate ion) as a final electron acceptor, changing it into NO2, N2O, or N2 thereby playing an important role in denitrification of soil. Can utilize an alternative pathway for glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway called the Entner-Doudoroff Pathway - changing one glucose into 2 NADPH and 1 ATP and pyruvic acid; this ability can be used diagnostically to test for the presence of this genus. Used commercially for the production of Vitamin B12.
