A bacteria isolated from normal skin, intestinal contents, wounds, blood, pus, and soft tissue abscesses. It is a common contaminant of clinical specimens, presumably from the skin of patients or attendants.

The Propionibacterium Genus

A genus of gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria whose cells occur singly, in pairs or short chains, in v or y configurations, or in clumps resembling letters of the chinese alphabet.

Its organisms are found in cheese and dairy products as well as on human skin and can occasionally cause soft tissue infections.