Neisseria sicca

**Semantic type:** Bacterium

**Definition:** A species of aerobic, Gram-negative, cocci shaped bacteria assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria. This species is catalase and oxidase positive, produces a grayish white pigment, utilizes glucose, maltose, fructose, and sucrose, but not mannose or lactose, reduces nitrite, but not nitrate, synthesizes polysaccharides, and spontaneously agglutinates in saline. N. sicca is found in the nasopharynx, saliva, and sputum of humans, but is also an opportunistic pathogen.

**Synonyms:** - NEISSERIA SICCA