Abundant in air, soil and water. Some are beneficial (e.g. those living in intestine and breaking down food) and some are harmless to humans. Bacteria that are harmful are known as pathogens. Three main categories: cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped) and spirochaetes or spirilla (spiral-shaped). Bacteria can grow in an inert medium. Susceptible to antibiotics.
Commensal= a bacteria which normally lives in or on the body and is considered medically to be harmless
Nosocomial infection: contracted in hospital
Code | Bacteria | Medically Recognized Possible Symptoms & Effects | Comments |
BCT 1 | Acinetobacter | respiratory symptoms, nosocomial infections | ubiquitous in environment |
BCT 2 | Actinomyces | liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, actinomycosis | Actinomyces Israelii commensal of human mouth |
| Anthrax | see BCT 43 | |
BCT 3 | Bacilli Gram Positive and Negative | | |
| Bacillus Cereus | see BCT45 | |
BCT 4 | Bacillus Megaterium | meningitis | present in the throats of about 10% of the population |
BCT 5 | Bacillus Subtilus | produces sticky yellow patches on bread | |
BCT 6 | Bordetella Pertussis | whooping cough | |
BCT 7 | Borrelia Burgdorferi | Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis) | vector is a tick which is dependent on wild rodents and deer |
| Borrelia Vincent | see BCT53 | | BCT 8 | Brucella Abortus | influenza- like symptoms, fever, arthritis, headaches, irritability, insomnia and confusion, septicemia | from cattle; unpasteurised dairy products |
BCT 9 | Campylobacter | food poisoning, diarrhoea | on increase. Types C. jejuni and c. fetus; found in raw meat, untreated water and unpasteurised dairy products |
BCT 10 | Clostridium Botulinum | botulism, muscle paralysis, vomiting, tiredness, food poisoning | caused by the neurotoxin of CB |
| Clostridium Difficile | see BCT54 | |
| Clostridium Perfingens | see BCT46 | |
BCT 11 | Clostridium Tetani | muscle rigidity followed by spasmodic muscle contraction with pallor and sweating | in soil |
BCT 12 | Clostridium Welchii | cellulitis | |
BCT 13 | Cocci Gram Pos and Neg | | |
BCT 14 | Corynebacterium Diphtheriae | diphtheria tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, croup | |
| Enterobacter Aerogenes | see BCT47 | |
BCT 15 | Escherichia Coli | meningitis in babies, diarrhoea, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection | commensal of human intestine; popularly known as E. Coli; found in raw and undercooked meat, raw vegetables and unpasteurised milk |
BCT 16 | Gardnerella Vaginalis | occasionally slightly smelly, non-itchy discharge | commensal of female vagina |
BCT 17 | Haemophilus Influenzae | conjunctivitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis in children | commensal in human upper respiratory tract. 6 types; type b causes meningitis |
BCT 18 | Helicobacter Pylori | gastritis, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, possibly gastric cancer | |
| Klebsiella Pneumoniae | see BCT48 | |
BCT 19 | Legionella Pneumophila | respiratory symptoms, pus in lungs, lung abscess, Legionnaires’ disease, hepatitis | nosocomial infection; a widespread naturally occurring aquatic organism, transmitted by airborne droplets often from air-conditioning units |
BCT 20 | Leptospiria | high fever, headache, myalgia, conjunctivitis, Weil’s disease | transmitted by rodents and infected water
2 sub-species |
BCT 21 | Listeria Monocytogenes | meningitis in babies | unpasteurised dairy products and inadequately cooked meat, ubiquitous in soil |
| Microcosms Luteus | see BCT49 | |
| MRSA | see BCT 44 | |
BCT 22 | Mycobacterium Bovis | pneumonia, tuberculosis | |
BCT 23 | Mycobacterium Leprae | Leprosy | endemic in Africa, India, SE Asia, Central and South America |
BCT 24 | Mycobacterium Tuberculosis | T.B., conjunctivitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, tuberculosis, chronic hepatitis, urinary tract infection | |
| Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis | see BCT55 | |
BCT 25 | Mycoplasma Pneumoniae | croup, otitis media, pus in lungs, childhood pneumonia, acute hepatitis | commensal of human respiratory tract |
BCT 26 | Neisseria Gonorrhoea | gonorrhea, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, pain on passing urine, discharge, pain in abdomen | |
BCT 27 | Neisseria Meningitidis | conjunctivitis, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, pneumonia, meningitis, meningitis in children | in western countries group B is predominant organism followed by C . Group A in parts of Africa, Middle East and India |
| Proteus Vulgaris | see BCT50 | |
BCT 28 | Pseudomonas Aeruginosa | urinary tract infection, respiratory symptoms, otitis media, lung abscess, meningitis in babies, wound infection | commensal of human intestinal flora |
BCT 29 | Salmonella | food poisoning, diarrhoea | on increase; found in raw meat, poultry, eggs, raw unwashed vegetables, unpasteurised dairy products |
| Salmonella Enteritidis | see BCT51 | |
BCT 30 | Salmonella Paratyphi | typhoid | 3 types (A, B & C) |
BCT 31 | Salmonella Typhi | typhoid fever, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, food poisoning | |
BCT 32 | Shigella | diarrhoea, bacillary dysentery | 4 sub-groups: S. dysenteriae (developing countries), S. flexneri (developing countries), S. boydii, S. sonnei (endemic in developed countries) |
BCT 33 | Staphylococcus Aureus | respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis, difficulty in breathing, otitis media, pus in lungs, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis, meningitis in elderly, brain abscess, cellulitis, food poisoning, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection | common skin commensal; some strains are now becoming antibiotic resistant |
BCT 34 | Staphylococcus Epidermidis | breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis, urinary tract infection | |
BCT 35 | Streptococcus Lactis | | |
BCT 36 | Stretococcus Agalactiae / Group B Streptococcus | neonatal infection, septicaemia, meningitis, nosocomial infection | commensal in intestine and female genital tract |
| Streptococcus Mitis | see BCT52 | |
BCT 37 | Streptococcus Mutans | dental caries | |
BCT 38 | Streptococcus Pneumoniae | conjunctivitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pus in lungs, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, meningitis, meningitis in elderly and children, brain abscess | commensal of human upper respiratory tract |
BCT 39 | Streptococcus Pyogenes | sore throat, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pus in lungs, lung abcess, pneumonia, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, impetigo, cellulitis, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, toxic shock, septicaemia | |
BCT 40 | Streptococcus Viridans | breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis | |
BCT 41 | Vibrio Cholera | cholera | growing problem in S America, Middle East, Africa and Asia |
BCT 42 | Yersinia Pestis | pneumonia, plague | |
BCT43 | Anthrax | affects the skin and lungs | spread from livestock; extremely rare in developed countries; but a possible agent of biological warfare |
BCT44 | MRSA/
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus | a version of staph aureus that is resistant to antibiotics; can cause death particularly in weakened people | most cases occur in hospital patients |
BCT45 | Bacillus Cereus | food poisoning | often associated with fried rice that has been cooked and then held at warm temperatures for several hours |
BCT46 | Clostridium Perfingens | pneumonia | widely distributed in the environment and frequently occurs in the intestines of humans and many domestic and feral animals |
BCT47 | Enterobacter Aerogenes | | found in human digestive tract |
BCT48 | Klebsiella Pneumoniae | urinary tract infections | pneumonia and urinary tract infections; tends to affect people with underlying diseases, particularly in hospital |
BCT49 | Micrococcus Luteus | | inhabits mammalian skin; opportunistic infection |
| Neisseria Catarrhalis | see BCT56 | |
BCT50 | Proteus Vulgaris | urinary tract infections | |
BCT51 | Salmonella Enteritidis | fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea | from contaminated eggs |
BCT52 | Streptococcus Mitis | | found in saliva, sputum and faeces |
BCT53 | Borrelia Vincent | severe ulcerating gingivitis (trench mouth) | typically found in those with poor oral hygiene but can also occur as a result of stress, cigarette smoking and poor nutrition; also can be found in those with serious illnesses |
BCT54 | Clostridium Difficile | diarrhoea, colitis,peritonitis | often after normal gut flora is eradicated by the use of antibiotics ; infection often occurs in hospital and in nursing homes |
BCT55 | Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis | found in the intestinal tract of some people with Crohn’s disease | in the USA, 40% of large dairy herds are infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis; can survive pasteurisation |
BCT56 | Neisseria Catarrhalis/Moraxella Catarrhalis / Micrococcus Catarrhalis / Branhamella Catarrhalis | a common cause of otitis media and sinusitis and an occasional cause of laryngitis; causes bronchitis or pneumonia in children and adults with underlying chronic lung disease | commensal in nasopharyx |
