Category B - Organisms

Indexing Principles

Category B02 Archaea
Prior to 1998 the Archaea had been treed in Category B3 with the bacteria. Follow the same indexing policy for Archaea as bacteria. For example the presence of Archaea in an organ would be indexed with the organ/microbiol. There are several pre-coordinated archaeal terms such as ARCHAEAL PROTEINS and GENES, ARCHAEAL and CHROMOSOMES, ARCHAEAL in other trees which should be used when appropriate with the specific Archaea.

Category B03 Bacteria
There is extensive coverage of the bacteria including bacteria of medical importance, bacteria commonly used in experimental studies, bacteria found in the environment, and bacteria used in biotechnology. The MeSH vocabulary includes many bacteria at the species level and some at the subspecies or subtype level, such as E.coli 0157.

The presence of a bacterium in an organ, animal or disease is indexed with the subheading /microbiol on the term where the bacterium is found. The presence of bacteria does not necessarily indicate an infection.

Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus from the skin
SKIN/*microbiol
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS/*isol
*Do not also add STAPHYLOCOCCAL SKIN INFECTIONS unless the text indicates an infection

Many pre-coordinated bacterial terms in other trees such as BACTERIAL PROTEINS, GENES, BACTERIAL and ANTIGENS, BACTERIAL are available.

Category B04 Viruses
There is extensive coverage of the viruses particularly those of medical importance. Many specific virus terms are available including organism specific terms such as HEPATITIS A VIRUS, HUMAN and HEPATITIS VIRUS, DUCK. The presence of a virus is indicated by indexing the term where the virus is found with the subheading/virology. The presence of a virus does not necessarily indicate an infection.

Isolation of cytomegalovirus from the brain
BRAIN/*virol
CYTOMEGALOVIRUS/*isol

Coordinate with the appropriate pre-coordinated viral terms from other trees when needed such as VIRAL PROTEINS, GENOME, VIRAL, ANTIBODIES, VIRAL.

In addition to the MeSH terminology for the viruses, Supplemental Concept Records (SCRs) were created to expand and increase the specificity of virus terms available for indexing. These SCR virus terms map to the MeSH virus term that represents the closest taxonomic group. The SCR record also provides the MeSH infection term for diseases caused by the virus.

Tembusu virus is mapped to the MeSH term Flavivirus. This means that an article indexed with Tembusu virus will appear in PubMed under both Tembusu virus and Flavivirus. The indexer needs ONLY to index the SCR; the Heading Mapped to is added automatically.