Pathogenic Bacteria - List of Pathogenic Bacteria By Clinical Characteristics | List Pathogenic Bacteria Clinical Characteristics

List of Pathogenic Bacteria By Clinical Characteristics

This is a rather clinical description of the species presented in the previous section, containing the main examples of transmission, diseases, treatment, prevention and laboratory diagnosis, which all can differ substantially among the species of the same genus.

Species of human pathogenic bacteria
Species	Transmission	Diseases	Treatment	Prevention	laboratory diagnosis
Bacillus anthracis	Contact with sheep, goats and horses Inhalation or skin penetration through abrasions of spore-contaminated dust	Cutaneous anthrax Pulmonary anthrax Gastrointestinal anthrax	In early infection: Penicillin Doxycycline Ciprofloxacin	Anthrax vaccine autoclaving of instruments	Large, grayish, nonhemolytic colonies with irregular borders on blood agar Direct immunofluorescence
Bordetella pertussis	Contact with respiratory droplets expelled by infected human hosts.	Whooping cough Complications: Secondary bacterial pneumonia	Macrolide antibiotics Azithromycin Erythromycin Clarithromycin	Pertussis vaccine, DPT vaccine	Direct immunofluorescence PCR amplification
Borrelia burgdorferi	Ixodes ticks reservoir in deer, mice and other rodents	Lyme disease	Early stages: cephalosporins amoxicillin doxycycline If arthritic symptoms have appeared: Longer courses of antibiotics	Lyme vaccine wearing clothing that limits skin exposure to ticks insect repellent	Microscopy using Giemsa or Wright stain PCR serology (low precision rate)
Brucella abortus Brucella canis Brucella melitensis Brucella suis	Direct contact with infected animal Oral, by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or milk products	Brucellosis	Combination therapy of: doxycycline streptomycin or gentamicin	-	Culture (difficult and time consuming) Agglutination serology
Campylobacter jejuni	Fecal/oral from animals (mammals and fowl) Contaminated meat (especially poultry) Contaminated water	Acute enteritis	Symptomatically by fluid and electrolyte replacement Ciprofloxacin in severe cases	No available vaccine Good hygiene Avoiding contaminated water Pasteurizing milk and milk products Cooking meat (especially poultry)	Finding campylobacter in feces
Chlamydia pneumoniae	Respiratory droplets	Community-acquired respiratory infection	Doxycycline Erythromycin	None	None for routine use
Chlamydia trachomatis	Sexual (NGU, LGV) Direct or contaminated surfaces and flies (trachoma) Passage through birth canal (ICN)	Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) Trachoma Inclusion conjunctivitis of the newborn (ICN)	Azithromycin Erythromycin Tetracyclines Doxycycline	No vaccine Erythromycin or silver nitrate in newborn's eyes Safe sex	Cellular cytoplasmic inclusions by immunofluorescence DNA hybridization ELISA for lipopolysaccharides
Chlamydophila psittaci	Inhalation of dust with secretions or feces from birds (e.g. parrots)	Psittacosis	Tetracycline Doxycycline Erythromycin (less efficient)	-	Rise in antibody titre Complement fixation indirect immunofluorescence
Clostridium botulinum	Spores from soil and aquatic sediments contaminating vegetables, meat and fish	Botulism	Antitoxin (horse antiserum)	Proper food preservation techniques	Mouse inoculation detects toxin from food, intestinal contents or serum Culture in standard aerobic culture
Clostridium difficile	Spores both indoors and outdoors Human flora, overgrowing when other flora is depleted	Pseudomembranous colitis	Discontinuing predisposing antibiotic Fluid and electrolyte replacement Vancomycin or metronidazole if severe	None	ELISA for Toxin ELISA for toxin A or B Endoscopy for pseudomembrane
Clostridium perfringens	Spores in soil Human flora in vagina and GI tract	Gas gangrene Acute food poisoning Anaerobic cellulitis	Gas gangrene: Debridement or amputation Hyperbaric medicine High doses of penicillin G or doxycycline Food poisoning: Self-limiting; Supportive care is sufficient	Appropriate food handling	Microscopically Blood agar culture, forming double-zone β-hemolysis Sugar fermentation Organic acid production
Clostridium tetani	Spores in soil infecting puncture wounds, severe burns or surgery	Tetanus	Tetanus immune globulin Horse antitoxin, alternatively Sedatives Muscle relaxants Mechanical ventilation	DPT vaccine	(difficult)
Corynebacterium diphtheriae	Respiratory droplets Part of human flora	Diphtheria	Horse serum antitoxin Erythromycin Penicillin	DPT vaccine	(no rapid) Culture on Tinsdale agar, followed by immunologic precipitin reaction
Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium	Part of human flora, opportunistic or entering through GI tract or urinary system wounds	Nosocomial infections	Penicillin and an aminoglycoside Vancomycin Quinupristin and dalfopristin	No vaccine Hand washing and other nosocomial prevention	Culture in 6.5% NaCl Can hydrolyze esculin in presence of bile
Escherichia coli (generally)	Part of gut flora, spreading extraintestinally or proliferating in the GI tract	Urinary tract infections (UTI) Diarrhea Meningitis in infants	UTI: (resistance-tests are required first) Co-trimoxazole Fluoroquinolone, e.g. ciprofloxacin Meningitis: Cephalosporin (e.g. cefotaxime) and gentamicin combination Diarrhea: Antibiotics above shorten duration Electrolyte and fluid replacement	(no vaccine or preventive drug) Food and water preparation Cooking ground beef and pasteurizing milk against O157:H7 Hand washing and disinfection	Culture on MacConkey agar and study carbohydrate fermentation patterns: Lactose fermentation (most E. coli strains) Gas production in glucose fermentation Mannitol fermentation
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)	Fecal-oral through food and water Direct physical contact	Traveller's diarrhea
Enteropathogenic E. coli	Vertical, in utero or at birth	Diarrhea in infants
E. coli O157:H7	Reservoir in cattle	Hemorrhagic colitis Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Francisella tularensis	vector-borne by arthropods Infected wild or domestic animals, birds or house pets	Tularemia	Streptomycin Gentamicin	Avoiding insect vectors Precautions when handling wild animals or animal products	(rarely cultured) Serology
Haemophilus influenzae	Droplet contact Human flora of e.g. upper respiratory tract	Bacterial meningitis Upper respiratory tract infections Pneumonia, bronchitis	Meningitis: (resistance-tests are required first) Third generation cephalosporin, e.g. cefotaxime or ceftriaxone Ampicillin and sulbactam combination	Hib vaccine to infants Rifampin prophylactically	Culture on chocolate agar with hemin (factor X) and NAD+ (factor V) Quellung reaction Immunofluorescence staining of capsule Detection of capsular antigen in CSF or other body fluids
Helicobacter pylori	Colonizing stomach Unclear person-to-person transmission	Peptic ulcer Risk factor for gastric carcinoma and gastric B-cell lymphoma	Tetracycline, metronidazole and bismuth salt combination	(No vaccine or preventive drug)	Microscopically Corkscrew movement Urease-positivity by radioactively labeled urea Serology by ELISA
Legionella pneumophila	Droplet contact, from e.g. cooling towers, humidifiers, air conditioners and water distribution systems	Legionnaire's Disease Pontiac fever	Macrolides, e.g. erythromycin or azithromycin Fluoroquinolones	(no vaccine or preventive drug) Heating water	Culture from respiratory secretions on buffered charcoal yeast extract enriched with L-cysteine, iron and α-ketoglutarate Serology, including direct immunofluorescence and radioimmunoassay for antigen in urine Hybridization to ribosomal RNA using DNA probe
Leptospira interrogans	Food and water contaminated by e.g. urine from wild or domestic animals. Leptospira survives for weeks in stagnant water.	Leptospirosis	Penicillin G Tetracycline, e.g. doxycycline	(no vaccine) Doxycycline Prevention of exposure Rodent control	Dark-field microscopy on fresh blood smear (but doesn't stain well) Serologic agglutionation tests
Listeria monocytogenes	Dairy products, ground meats, poultry Vertical to newborn or fetus	Listeriosis	Ampicillin Co-trimoxazole	(no vaccine) Proper food preparation and handling	Isolation from e.g. blood and CSF Beta-hemolysis and catalase production on blood agar Microscopy for morphology and motility
Mycobacterium leprae	Prolonged human-human contact, e.g. through exudates from skin lesions to abrasion of other person	Leprosy (Hansen's disease)	Tuberculoid form: Dapsone and rifampin Lepromatous form: Clofazimine	BCG vaccine shows some effects	Tuberculoid form: Hard to isolate (diagnosis on clinical findings and histology of biopsies) Lepromatous form: Acid-fast staining from e.g. skin scrapings
Mycobacterium tuberculosis	Droplet contact	Tuberculosis	(difficult, see Tuberculosis treatment for more details) Standard "short" course: First 2 months, combination: Isoniazid Rifampicin Pyrazinamide Ethambutol Further 4 months, combination: Isoniazid Rifampicin	BCG vaccine Isoniazid	Ziehl-Neelsen stain showing acid-fast bacteria Hybridization probes for DNA, succeeded by PCR Culture on Lowenstein-Jensen agar
Mycoplasma pneumoniae	Human flora Droplet contact	Mycoplasma pneumonia	Doxycycline and erythromycin		(difficult to culture) Serologic tests, e.g. complement fixation test DNA probes on sputum specimens
Neisseria gonorrhoeae	Sexually transmitted vertical in birth	Gonorrhea Ophthalmia neonatorum Septic arthritis	Uncomplicated gonorrhea: Ceftriaxone Tetracycline, e.g. doxycycline if also chlamydia is suspected Spectinomycin for resistance or patient allergy to cephalosporin Ophthalmia neonatorum: Tetracycline or erythromycin into eyes	(No vaccine) Safe sex Tetracycline or erythromycin into eyes of newborn at risk	Gram-negative diplococci in neutrophils from urethral exudates Oxidase test on culture on Thayer-Martin agar under increased oxygen tension Fermentation of glucose but not maltose
Neisseria meningitidis	Respiratory droplets	Meningococcal disease including meningitis Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome	Penicillin G Cefotaxime Ceftriaxone	NmVac4-A/C/Y/W-135 vaccine Rifampin	Microscopy showing gram-negative diplococci, often with PMNs Culture on chocolate agar, giving positive oxidase test and fermentation of glucose and maltose in 5% CO₂ in air
Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Infects damaged tissues or people with reduced immunity.	Pseudomonas infection Localized to eye, ear, skin, urinary, respiratory or gastrointestinal tract or CNS, or systemic with bacteremia, secondary pneumonia bone and joint infections, endocarditis, skin, soft tissue or CNS infections.	Aminoglycoside and anti-pseudomonal β-lactam	(no vaccine) Topical silver sulfadiazine for burn wounds	Colourless colonies on MacConkey agar. Production of pyocyanine and fluorescein Positive oxidase test. No lactose fermentation.
Rickettsia rickettsii	Bite of infected wood or dog tick	Rocky mountain spotted fever	Doxycycline Chloramphenicol	(no preventive drug or approved vaccine) Vector control, such as clothing Prompt removal of attached ticks	Serology Immunofluorescence against Rickettsia antigens
Salmonella typhi	Human-human Fecal-oral through food or water	Typhoid fever type salmonellosis (dysentery, colitis)	Ceftriaxone Fluoroquinolones, e.g. ciprofloxacin	Ty21a and ViCPS vaccines Hygiene and food preparation	Isolation from blood, feces, bone marrow, urine or rose spots on skin Colorless, non-lactose fermenting colonies on MacConkey agar Serology for antibodies against O antigen
Salmonella typhimurium	Fecal-oral Food contaminated by fowl (e.g. eggs), pets and other animals	Salmonellosis with gastroenteritis and enterocolitis	Fluid and electrolyte replacement for severe diarrhea Antibiotics (in immunocompromised to prevent systemic spread)	(No vaccine or preventive drug) Proper sewage disposal Food preparation Good personal hygiene	Colourless colonies on MacConkey agar
Shigella sonnei	Fecal-oral Flies Contaminated food or water	Bacillary dysentery/Shigellosis	Ciprofloxacin or azithromycin	Protection of water and food supplies Vaccines are in trial stage	Culture on Hektoen agar or other media for intestinal pathogens
Staphylococcus aureus	Human flora on mucosae in e.g. anterior nares and vagina, entering through wound	Coagulase-positive staphylococcal infections: Localized skin infections Diffuse skin infection (Impetigo) Deep, localized infections Acute infective endocarditis Septicemia Necrotizing pneumonia Toxinoses Toxic shock syndrome Staphylococcal food poisoning	Incision and drainage of localized lesions Nafcillin and oxacillin Vancomycin for Methicillin-resistant (MRSA)	(no vaccine or preventive drug) Barrier precautions, washing hands and fomite disinfection in hospitals	Microscopy showing strongly positive Gram stained cells in grape-like clusters Positive Catalase test and coagulase test Culture on enriched media producing deep yellow, hemolytic colonies
Staphylococcus epidermidis	Human flora in skin and anterior nares	Infections of implanted prostheses, e.g. heart valves and catheters	Vancomycin	None	Microscopy showing strongly positive Gram stained cells in grape-like clusters Positive Catalase test but negative coagulase test Novobiocin-sensitivity (S. epidermidis) Novobiocin-resistance (S. saprophyticus) Culture on enriched media producing white, nonhemolytic colonies
Staphylococcus saprophyticus	Part of normal vaginal flora	Cystitis in women	Penicillin G	None
Streptococcus agalactiae	Human flora in vagina or urethral mucous membranes, rectum Vertical transmission by birth Sexual	Meningitis and septicemia in neonates Endometritis in postpartum women Opportunistic infections with septicemia and pneumonia	Penicillin G Ampicillin Aminoglycoside in case of lethal infection	None	Culture showing large colonies with β-hemolysis Negative catalase test Hydrolyzes sodium hippurate
Streptococcus pneumoniae	Respiratory droplets Often human flora in nasopharynx (spreading in immunocompromised)	Acute bacterial pneumonia & meningitis in adults Otitis media and sinusitis in children	Penicillin G Vancomycin for resistant strains	23-serotype vaccine for adults (PPV) Heptavalent conjugated vaccine for children (PCV)	Microscopy showing gram-positive, encapsulated lancet-shaped diplococci α-hemolysis on blood agar, bile-soluble, optochin-sensitive Positive Quellung reaction
Streptococcus pyogenes	Respiratory droplets Direct physical contact with impetigo lesions	Streptococcal pharyngitis Scarlet fever Rheumatic fever Impetigo and erysipelas Puerperal fever Necrotizing fasciitis	Penicillin G Macrolide, e.g. clarithromycin or azithromycin in penicillin allergy Drainage and debridement for Necrotizing fasciitis	No vaccine Rapid antibiotic treatment helps prevent rheumatic fever	Culture on sheep blood agar forming small, opalescent surrounded by large zone of β-hemolysis Serology for ASO Very bacitracin-sensitive
Treponema pallidum	Sexual	Syphilis Congenital syphilis	Penicillin G Erythromycin or tetracycline if penicillin allergy	No preventive drug or vaccine Safe sex Antibiotics to pregnant women at risk of transmitting congenital syphilis	Cannot be cultured or viewed in gram-stained smear Dark field microscopy Serology, including nontreponemal (VDRL, RPR) and treponemal tests (FTA-ABS, TPI, TPHA)
Vibrio cholerae	Contaminated water and food, especially raw seafood	Cholera	Fluid and electrolyte replacement e.g. doxycycline to shorten duration	Preventing fecal contamination of water supplies and food Adequate food preparation	Culture on blood or MacConkey agar, enhanced by TCBS Positive oxidase test
Yersinia pestis	Fleas from animals Ingestion of animal tissues Respiratory droplets	Plague: Bubonic plague Pneumonic plague	Streptomycin primarily Gentamicin Tetracyclin Supportive therapy for shock	Formalin-killed plague vaccine Minimize exposure to rodents and fleas	Gram-negative smear If pneumonic, culture from aspirate on MacConkey or blood agar

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