Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 11, Number 11—November 2005
Letter

Spelling of Emerging Pathogens

On This Page
Tables
Article Metrics

Cite This Article

To the Editor: Language is about comprehension; provided the parties in a discussion can understand each other, variations in pronunciation of individual words may be tolerated or disregarded. In modern English, numerous examples of variant pronunciations exist that cause no problems of comprehension (e.g., either, tomato, laboratory, fertile). These arise from several causes; regional practice is likely the most important factor, but the speaker's education and social background, personal preferences, and even etymologic theories also play a part. It would be futile and, some would feel, undesirable to attempt to impose uniformity by prescribing approved pronunciations if communication is not endangered. Moreover, both language and pronunciation are subject to constant change.

The same is not true regarding the spelling of organisms' names. Although we accept variation in pronunciation, we should not accept variation in the spelling of binomial names. Common spelling variants and the citation frequency (PubMed) of 4 organisms, Acinetobacter baumannii, Coccidioides immitis (the fungal causal agent of coccidioidomycosis), Coxiella burnetii (the causal agent of Q fever), and Tropheryma whipplei (the causal agent of Whipple disease), are detailed in the Table. Common spelling mistakes occur with double letters (e.g., nn, ii), as well as complicated strings of consecutive vowels (e.g., Coccidioides). However, a defense to such criticism is that various authors have adopted the spelling of a previous taxonomic description that has become outdated, e.g., C. burneti (previous) and C. burnetii (current). Historic change in the spelling of these names is the primary reason they are published and cited in PubMed with different spellings. However, even disregarding historic taxonomic variants, ≈14.8% of Tropheryma whipplei, 14.3% of Acinetobacter baumannii, 12.3% of Coxiella burnetii, and 1.9% of Coccidioides citations are spelled incorrectly in PubMed. These relatively large percentages may mean that relevant literature is overlooked in searches.

Authors should be aware that previous taxonomic spelling of binomial names exist and check their historic evolution in the List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature (http://www.bacterio.cict.fr). Authors should cite previous spelling when such a change has been recent and they may wish to include previous spellings in literature searches. Additionally, the most current and formally accepted spelling must be used when preparing a manuscript for publication.

The origins of incorrect and variant spellings of binomial names may lie in an array of sources, including original mispronunciation with subsequent incorrect phonetic transcription. Written language is rarely a phonetic transcript of vocal acoustics, however, it interfaces with several factors that prevent us from spelling words the way they sound. Orthography, which promotes the practice of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage and conventionally correct spelling, is further complicated by the use of Greek or Latin words, each with their own linguistic peculiarities.

Although we may not be able to standardize phonetic pronunciation of binomial names locally, nationally, or internationally, we should be constantly conscious of their spelling. As authors and peer reviewers, we should strive to achieve uniformity in written media to promote enhanced communication with our peers in infectious diseases.

Top

John E. Moore*Comments to Author  and B. Cherie Millar*
Author affiliations: *Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Top

References

  1. Bouvet  PJM, Grimont  PAD. Taxonomy of the genus Acinetobacter with the recognition of Acinetobacter baumannii sp. nov., Acinetobacter haemolyticus sp. nov., Acinetobacter johnsonii sp. nov., and Acinetobacter junii sp. nov. and amended descriptions of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Acinetobacter lwoffii. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1986;36:22840. DOIGoogle Scholar
  2. Stevens  DA. Coccidioidomycosis. N Engl J Med. 1995;332:107782. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Skerman  VBD, McGowan  V, Sneath  PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1980;30:225420. DOIGoogle Scholar
  4. Derrick  EH. Rickettsia burneti: the cause of Q-fever. Med J Aust. 1939;1:14.
  5. La Scola  B, Fenollar  F, Fournier  PE, Altwegg  M, Mallet  MN, Raoult  D. Description of Tropheryma whipplei gen. nov., sp. nov., the Whipple's disease bacillus. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2001;51:14719.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Relman  DA, Schmidt  TM, MacDermott  RP, Falkow  S. Identification of the uncultured bacillus of Whipple's disease. N Engl J Med. 1992;327:293301. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

Top

Table

Top

Cite This Article

DOI: 10.3201/eid1111.050780

Related Links

Top

Table of Contents – Volume 11, Number 11—November 2005

EID Search Options
presentation_01 Advanced Article Search – Search articles by author and/or keyword.
presentation_01 Articles by Country Search – Search articles by the topic country.
presentation_01 Article Type Search – Search articles by article type and issue.

Top

Comments

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

John E. Moore, Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, BT9 7AD, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; fax: 44-28-2589-2887

Send To

10000 character(s) remaining.

Top

Page created: February 17, 2012
Page updated: February 17, 2012
Page reviewed: February 17, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external