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The nomenclatural status of Mycobacterium bovis
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Mycobacterium bovis has been used as the scientific name for two different bacteria, the one causing bovine tuberculosis, the other occurring in freshly drawn cow’s milk. In the past the former bacterium was regarded as a subspecies (variety) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (viz. M. tuberculosis subsp. bovis), and in recent years it has been recognized as a distinct species, M. bovis; whether as a subspecies or a species, the name of this organism is commonly attributed to “Bergey et al. 1934.” For the name of the latter bacterium, “(Bergey et al. 1923) Krasil’nikov 1949” is the author citation ordinarily given. However, from a careful analysis of the facts, it is evident that none of the specific or subspecific names in the genus Mycobacterium involving the epithet “bovis” has been validly published. Because the epithet “bovis” has been used the world over for many years in the scientific name of the organism responsible for bovine tuberculosis, the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Nomenclature of Bacteria is requested to issue an Opinion conserving the name Mycobacterium bovis (Bergey et al. 1934) Reed 1957 (Basionym: M. tuberculosis subsp. bovis Bergey et al. 1 934).
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Copyright 1967 by the Iowa State University Press