Transfer of Chryseobacterium meningosepticum and Chryseobacterium miricola to Elizabethkingia gen. nov as Elizabethkingia meningoseptica comb. nov and Elizabethkingia miricola comb. nov.

The taxonomic positions of six strains (including the type strain) of Chryseobacterium meningosepticum (King 1959) Vandamme et al. 1994 and the type strain of Chryseobacterium miricola Li et al. 2004 were re-evaluated by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, showed that the strains represent a separate lineage from the type strains of the Chryseobacterium-Bergeyella-Riemerella branch within the family Flavobacteriaceae (90-7-93-9% similarities), which was supported by phenotypic differences. Combined phylogenetic and phenotypic data showed that C. meningosepticum and C. miricola should be transferred to a new genus, Elizabethkingia gen. nov., with the names Elizabethkingia meningoseptica comb. nov. (type strain, ATCC 13253T = NCTC 10016T = LMG 12279T = CCUG 214T) and Elizabethkingia miricola comb. nov. (type strain, DSM 1457T= JCM 11413T = GTC 862T) proposed.