A genus of rod-shaped bacteria that can form branching filaments and are pathogenic to animals and sometimes humans.
From Greek 'aktis' (ray) + Latin 'bacillus' (rod). Named for the radiating filament-like extensions these bacteria may develop, resembling rays.
Actinobacillus pleuroneumoniae kills pigs worth billions globally—it's the reason pig farmers use antibiotics so heavily, and studying it helped reveal why overuse of antibiotics leads to resistance, a problem that now threatens human medicine.
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