| { |
| "schema_version": "1.0", |
| "level": "species", |
| "genus": "Escherichia", |
| "species": "fergusonii", |
|
|
| "overview": { |
| "short": "Escherichia fergusonii is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic rod closely related to Escherichia coli.", |
| "clinical_context": "Occasionally isolated from human clinical specimens including wounds, urine, and bloodstream infections." |
| }, |
|
|
| "expected_fields": { |
| "Gram Stain": "Negative", |
| "Shape": "Rods", |
| "Motility": "Positive", |
| "Capsule": "Variable", |
| "Spore Formation": "Negative", |
| "Haemolysis": "Variable", |
| "Haemolysis Type": "Variable", |
| "Media Grown On": [ |
| "Blood Agar", |
| "MacConkey Agar" |
| ], |
| "Colony Morphology": [ |
| "Smooth", |
| "Grey", |
| "Moist" |
| ], |
| "Oxygen Requirement": "Facultative Anaerobe", |
| "Growth Temperature": "10//45", |
| "Catalase": "Positive", |
| "Oxidase": "Negative", |
| "Indole": "Negative", |
| "Urease": "Negative", |
| "Citrate": "Negative", |
| "Methyl Red": "Positive", |
| "VP": "Negative", |
| "H2S": "Negative", |
| "DNase": "Negative", |
| "ONPG": "Positive", |
| "Coagulase": "Negative", |
| "Gelatin Hydrolysis": "Negative", |
| "Esculin Hydrolysis": "Negative", |
| "Nitrate Reduction": "Positive", |
| "NaCl Tolerant (>=6%)": "Negative", |
| "Lipase Test": "Negative", |
| "Lysine Decarboxylase": "Positive", |
| "Ornithine Decarboxylase": "Variable", |
| "Ornitihine Decarboxylase": "Variable", |
| "Arginine dihydrolase": "Negative", |
| "Glucose Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Lactose Fermentation": "Variable", |
| "Sucrose Fermentation": "Negative", |
| "Maltose Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Mannitol Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Sorbitol Fermentation": "Negative", |
| "Xylose Fermentation": "Negative", |
| "Rhamnose Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Arabinose Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Raffinose Fermentation": "Negative", |
| "Trehalose Fermentation": "Positive", |
| "Inositol Fermentation": "Negative", |
| "Gas Production": "Variable", |
| "TSI Pattern": "A/A", |
| "Colony Pattern": "Unknown", |
| "Pigment": "None", |
| "Motility Type": "Peritrichous" |
| }, |
|
|
| "species_markers": [ |
| { |
| "field": "Rhamnose Fermentation", |
| "value": "Positive", |
| "importance": "high", |
| "notes": "More consistently positive than in E. coli." |
| }, |
| { |
| "field": "Indole", |
| "value": "Negative", |
| "importance": "high", |
| "notes": "Helps separate E. fergusonii from most E. coli strains." |
| }, |
| { |
| "field": "Sorbitol Fermentation", |
| "value": "Negative", |
| "importance": "medium", |
| "notes": "Non-sorbitol fermentation supports differentiation from common E. coli." |
| } |
| ], |
|
|
| "common_confusions": [ |
| { |
| "species": "Escherichia coli", |
| "reason": "Very close biochemical and genetic relationship." |
| } |
| ], |
|
|
| "when_to_question_identification": [ |
| "Indole positivity suggests E. coli.", |
| "Rhamnose negativity weakens support for E. fergusonii.", |
| "Atypical sugar patterns require molecular confirmation." |
| ], |
|
|
| "recommended_next_tests": [ |
| { |
| "test": "Rhamnose fermentation", |
| "reason": "Useful discriminator from E. coli.", |
| "api_kit": "API 20E" |
| }, |
| { |
| "test": "Indole test", |
| "reason": "Excludes most E. coli strains.", |
| "api_kit": "API 20E" |
| }, |
| { |
| "test": "MALDI-TOF MS", |
| "reason": "Reliable species-level differentiation.", |
| "api_kit": "Not applicable" |
| } |
| ] |
| } |
