title: Mycobacterium confluentis
text: # Mycobacterium confluentis
  
  Mycobacterium confluentis is a non-pathogenic bacterium of the oral cavity.
  
  ## Description
  
  Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast coccobacillus (0.5-0.8 µm x 0.7-1.7 µm), does not form spores, capsules or aerial hyphae.
  
  ## Physiology
  
  * Rapid growth within 2 to 4 days on Löwenstein-Jensen media at 22 °C, 31 °C, 37 °C and 41 °C (optimum growth between 31 °C and 37 °C).
  * In vitro susceptibility to isoniazid, ethambutol and streptomycin.
  
  ## Differential characteristics
  
  * Differentiation from other thermotolerant mycobacteria by its inability to grow at temperatures of more than 41 °C.
  * Separation from other rapidly growing mycobacteria by its susceptibility to antituberculotic drugs.
  * Differentiated from the phenotypic closely related M. thermoresistibile by its inability to grow at 52 °C.
  
  ## Pathogenesis
  
  Not associated with disease. Biosafety level 1.
  
  ## Type strain
  
  First isolated from sputum, Koblenz, Germany. strain 1389/90 = ATCC 49920 = CIP 105510 = DSM 44017 = JCM 13671.
  
  