C. sakazakii C. malonaticus C. turicensis C. muytjensii C. dublinensis C. universalis C. condimenti Cronobacter is a genus of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, rod-shaped bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Several Cronobacter species are desiccation resistant and persistent in dry products such as powdered infant formula.

[3] They are generally motile, reduce nitrate, use citrate, hydrolyze esculin and arginine, and are positive for L-ornithine decarboxylation.

Acid is produced from D-glucose, D-sucrose, D-raffinose, D-melibiose, D-cellobiose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, L-rhamnose, L-arabinose, D-trehalose, galacturonate and D-maltose.

nov. All Cronobacter species, except C. condimenti, have been linked retrospectively to clinical cases of infection.

While cases of infection do occur in adults, these are generally non-life-threatening, and often secondary colonization to underlying health problems.

Infection in infants is associated with neonatal bacteraemia, meningitis and necrotising enterocolitis with a high case fatality rate and ongoing disablement of survivors.

[citation needed] Increased awareness that Cronobacter are ubiquitous environmental organisms, initiatives by the WHO and FAO, and advice on infant feeding (including safe temperatures for reconstitution of powdered infant formula, and appropriate hold times, post-reconstitution) has drastically reduced the occurrence of infection outbreaks.

However, isolated cases can still occur, in part due to Cronobacter being ubiquitous in home environments as well.

Cronobacter was first proposed as a new genus in 2007 as a clarification of the taxonomic relationship of the biogroups found among strains of Enterobacter sakazakii.