Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium which can cause disease in humans and animals. It is found in soil, water, and most man-made environments throughout the world. It thrives not only in normal atmospheres, but also with little oxygen, and has thus colonised many natural and artificial environments (Stove et al., 2000).
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognised as the pathogenic member of the Pseudomonas family. However Pseudomonas spp., as an entire family, is known to be the key success factor for the formation of biofilms and successfully remaining in water distributions due to their slimy nature. The high slime content facilitates clutters of bacteria being able to physically join together and ensures a strong adhesion to surfaces such as pipes and tanks making them really difficult to be removed. Pseudomonas has been a challenge to control in the Medicare industry for decades as it is most commonly known to be a post operation opportunistic pathogen.
Stover, C.K., Pham, X.Q., Erwin, A.L. & other authors (2000). Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, an opportunistic pathogen. Nature 406 959-964