Emerg Infect DisEmerging Infect. DisEIDEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-6059Centers for Disease Control and Prevention3320480ET-110810.3201/eid1108.ET1108News and NotesNews and NotesEtymologia: CephalosporinEtymologia: CephalosporinAddress for correspondence: EID Editor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd NE, Mailstop D61, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; email: eideditor@cdc.gov8200511811911191Keywords: etymologyEtymologiaCephalosporin[sef′′ə-lo-spor′in]

Any of a class of broad-spectrum, relatively penicillinase-resistant, ®-lactam antimicrobial drugs originally derived from species of the fungus Acremonium (formerly called Cephalosporium). Italian scientist Giuseppe Brotzu first isolated the parent compound cephalosporin C from a sewer in Sardinia in 1948. Cephalosporins available for medical use today are semisynthetic derivatives of this natural antimicrobial compound.

Sources: Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary. 30th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2003. and Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield (MA): Merriam-Webster's, Inc; 2003.

Suggested Citation for this article: Etymologia: Cephalosporin. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2005, Aug. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1108.ET1108