title: Mycobacterium flavescens
text: # Mycobacterium flavescens
  
  Mycobacterium flavescens is a species of the phylum Actinomycetota (Gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine content, one of the dominant phyla of all bacteria), belonging to the genus Mycobacterium.
  
  ## Etymology
  
  Its name is derived from the Latin word "flavescens", which means "becoming golden yellow."
  
  ## Description
  
  Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods.
  
  ### Colony characteristics
  
  * Rough, yellow-orange scotochromogenic, butyrous colonies.
  
  ### Physiology
  
  * Slow growth on Löwenstein-Jensen medium at 25-37 °C, but not at 45 °C within 7–10 days.
  * Although growth rate is intermediate, metabolic and physiologic properties are more like rapidly growing species.
  
  ### Differential characteristics
  
  * Serologic specificity demonstrated by immunodiffusion.
  * Related to Mycobacterium fortuitum: can be distinguished by its intense pigment production, and its slow rate of growth.
  
  ## Pathogenesis
  
  Not associated with disease. Biosafety level 2.
  
  ## Type strain
  
  * Normal human flora, environmental habitat.
  * First isolated from a drug treated tuberculous guinea pig (Mexico).
  
  Strain ATCC 14474 = CCUG 29041 = CIP 104533 = DSM 43991 = JCM 12274 = NCTC 10271 = NRRL B-4038.
  
  