Medically Important Bacteria - Pharmacy & Health Information

Medically Important Bacteria

by Scott Toste, Pharm.D., R.Ph.
Copyright © 1996-2002

The taxonomic classification of medically important bacteria can be broken down into three major groups, based upon the presence of an outer "shell": Gram Positive, Gram Negative, and Miscellaneous (neither gram positive or negative). The bacteria listed in red are the more frequently found pathogens.

Gram Positive Bacteria

Cocci

Micrococcaceae
    Micrococcus
    Planococcus
    Staphylococcus
    Stomatococcus

Streptococcaceae
    Streptococcus
    Enterococcus

Miscellaneous
    Aerococcus
    Coprococcus
    Gemello
    Lactococcus
    Leuconostoc
    Pediococcus
    Peptostreptococcus - anaerobic
    Sarcina

Bacilli

Spore-formers
    Bacillus
    Clostridium - anaerobic

Lactobacillaceae
    lactobacillus

Actinomycetaceae
    Actinomyces
    Bifidobacterium

Nocardiaceae
    Nocordia
    Rhodococcus

Mycobacteriaceae
    Mycobacterium - tuberculosis

Miscellaneous
    Arcanobacterium
    Corynebacterium
    Erysipelothrix
    Eubacterium
    Gordnerella
    Listeria
    Propioniboderium

Gram Negative Bacteria

Cocci

Neisseriaceae
    Neisseria

Moraxellaceae
    Acinetobacter
    Branhamella
    Moraxella

Anaerobes
    Acinominococcus
    Megasphaera
       Veillonella

Bacilli

Enterobacterioceae
    Citrobacter
    Edwardsiella
    Enterobacter
    Escherichia
    Klebsiella
    Morganella
    Proteus
    Providencia
    Salmonella
    Serratia
    Shigella
    Yersinia

Vibrianaceae
    Aeromonas
    Plesiomonas
    Vibrio

Spirillaceae
    Campylobocter
    Helicobacter

Pseudomonadaceae
    Pseudomonas
    Xanthomonas

Pasteurellaceae
    Actinobacillus
    Haemophilus
    Pasteurella

Miscellaneous
    Afipia
    Bordatella
    Bortonella
    Brucella
    Cardiobacterium
    Colymmatobacterium
    Eikenella
    Flavobacterium
    Francisella
    Kingello
    Spirillum
    Streptobacillus

Legionellaceae
    Fluoribacter
    Legionella
    Tatlockia

Bacteroidoceae
    Bacteroides - anaerobic
    Bilophora
    Fusobacterium - anaerobic
    Leptotrichia
    Porphyromonas
    Prevotello
    Wolinella

Miscellaneous Bacteria

Spirochaetales
    Treponema
    Borrelia
    Leptospira

Chlamydiaceae
    Chlamydia

Mycoplasmataceae
    Mycoplasma
    Ureaplasma

Rickettsiaceae
    Rickettsia
    Coxiella
    Rochalimaea
    Ehrlichia

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