Neisseria

**Neisseria** is a genus of gram-negative non-motile bacteria of the Neisseriaceae family, formerly part of the intestinal group of bacteria. The genus also included representatives of the species Neisseria meningitidis (dysenteric and haemophilus borreliosis, meningitis and encephalitis), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) and Neisseria lactamica (syphilis). Most species of the genus include both normal inhabitants of the genital organs and nasal mucosa of humans or animals, and pathogenic microorganisms that can cause a variety of diseases in humans and animals. The genus Neisseria is named after the German venereologist Carl Ludwig Siemens-Fallenbrandt, who discovered the causative agent of gonorrhea in 1879.

Taxonomy of 11 species and subspecies as of May 2022: A (Neisseria elongata), B (Neisseria fowleri), C (Neisseriaphillyrepertorum), D (Neisseriamacacae) (formerly called “Neisseriapelagia”), E (Neisseriaculebriformis), F (Neisseriasubflava), G (Neisseriaanbennoni), H (N. australiolanai), I (N. elongate), J (N. falleni), K (N. mucosa)*, L (N. subsphaerica)1.