RT Book, Section A1 Asmar, Basim I. A2 Kline, Mark W. SR Print(0) ID 1182935876 T1 Moraxella catarrhalis T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259588594 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182935876 RD 2024/03/28 AB Moraxella catarrhalis is a gram-negative aerobic diplococcus that belongs to the Neisseriaceae family. In the past, it has been known as Micrococcus catarrhalis, Neisseria catarrhalis, and Branhamella catarrhalis. It commonly inhabits the upper respiratory tract. For many years, it was considered a nonpathogenic member of the resident flora of the nasopharynx. Over the past 30 to 35 years, it has been recognized as a genuine mucosal pathogen and is now considered an important cause of otitis media and sinusitis in healthy children and adults. It also causes lower respiratory tract infections and exacerbation of bronchitis in adults with chronic lung disease. Occasionally, it can cause a variety of severe infections, including septicemia, pneumonia, and meningitis, especially in immunocompromised hosts.