NC_014147:765941 Moraxella catarrhalis RH4 chromosome, complete genome
Host Lineage: Moraxella catarrhalis; Moraxella; Moraxellaceae; Pseudomonadales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Moraxella catarrhalis is an emerging human-restricted unencapsulated gram-negative mucosal pathogen. For long considered to be a commensal of the upper respiratory tract, the bacterium has now firmly established its position as an etiological cause of otitis media (OM) and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is the third most common cause of childhood OM after Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, being responsible for up to 20% of the cases. Further, M. catarrhalis is the second most common cause of exacerbations of COPD after H. influenzae, being responsible for 10 to 15% of the exacerbations, annually accounting for 2 to 4 million episodes in the USA.