Mannheimia


Mannheimia is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria in the family Pasteurellaceae. Members of this genus are typically facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming, and non-motile coccobacilli.
Species of Mannheimia are primarily associated with mucosal surfaces of domestic and wild animals, especially ruminants. The most well-known species, Mannheimia haemolytica, is an important pathogen in veterinary medicine and is a leading cause of bovine respiratory disease complex.

History

The genus Mannheimia was proposed in 1999 by Danish microbiologist Ole Angen and colleagues. It was created to resolve taxonomic confusion within the former Pasteurella haemolytica complex based on results from DNA–DNA hybridization and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The authors transferred several species to this new genus, including the newly defined M. ruminalis, M. varigena, and M. glucosida.
The genus was named in honor of Walter Mannheim, a German microbiologist who contributed significantly to the taxonomy of the family Pasteurellaceae. The type species is Mannheimia haemolytica.

Species

As of 2025, the genus includes the following validly published species:
SpeciesKnown hosts
Mannheimia haemolyticaCattle, sheep, goats
Mannheimia ruminalisSheep, cattle
Mannheimia varigenaRuminants, pigs
Mannheimia granulomatisCattle, deer
Mannheimia glucosidaSheep
Mannheimia caviaeGuinea pigs
Mannheimia bovisCattle
Mannheimia pernigraRuminants
Mannheimia cairinaeDucks
Mannheimia indoligenesRuminants