Isolation ofActinomyces cricetomyissp. nov from orocervicofacial abscesses of African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei)

ABSTRACT African giant pouched rats are of interest for their unique sense of smell and can be trained for a variety of applications including detection of explosives and infectious diseases. A colony housed at a university animal care facility developed abscesses associated with the jaw and eye in multiple animals. The predominant bacterial species in each case was a catalase-positive Actinomyces- like Gram-positive bacillus. The isolates from different sites and animals matched each other genetically but had sequences and biochemical profiles inconsistent with previously described species of this group. Based on whole genome sequence, biochemical characterization, and fatty acid profile, a novel species of the genus Actinomyces is proposed, namely Actinomyces cricetomyis (type strain 186855 T ). The type strain is deposited at ATCC (TSD-310) and BCCM/LMG (LMG 32803).