- Gram-negative bacillus with bipolar staining ("safety pin" appearance)
- Grows on chocolate agar but not MacConkey, unlike other Gram-negative bacteria
- Oxidase positive and indole positive
- Includes Pasteurella multocida
- Normal oral flora of many animals, including humans
- Causes skin and soft tissue infections following bites or closed-fist injuries
- May have beta lactamases
- Treatment is typically with penicillin (if susceptible), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, or a cephalosporin
- Not reliably susceptible to cloxacillin or cefazolin
