title: What is the correct specific epithet for pathogenic Leptospirae?
abstract: The underlying documentation of the first descriptions of members of the genus Leptospira is carefully revised. Stimson's publication of? Spirochaeta interrogans (1907) is to be inadequate and not suitable to be recognized as the first valid description of a new genus being only a description of a spirochete-like microorganism without any documentation. The naming of the species of pathogenic leptospira interrogans is therefore not in confirmity with the requirements of the International Code of Nomenclature. The first valid description of saprophytic leptospira is given by Wolbach and Binger (1914) and that of pathogenic ones by Inada and Ido (1915). The correct name for the species of pathogenic leptospira is therefore icterohaemorrhagiae and for the saprophytic ones biflexa.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000145:classification*; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000145:classification*; D009626:Terminology as Topic