Major human pathogenic bacteria in the family Weeksellaceae and their virulence factors

Bacteria of the family Weeksellaceae are Gram-negative, and include 17 genera and 185 species. The emerging infectious pathogens of the family include Chryseobacterium indologenes, C. gleum, Elizabethkingia anophelis, E. meningoseptica, and E. miricola. In this review, we summarize the reported infections and the virulence factors of these pathogens. The main virulence factors of C. indologenes include phosphatases and proteases. The formation of the E. anophelis biofilm is associated with its pathogenicity, and the virulence factors of E. miricola, E. anophelis, and E. meningoseptica have been predicted from the genomic sequences of clinical strains. In this article, we summarize the case reports of infection and the virulence factors of pathogens in the family Weeksellaceae, to provide important data for evaluating the potential pathogenicity of other species within the family.