TABLE 5–1 Classification of Medically Important Bacteria

Characteristics Genus Representative Diseases

I. Rigid, thick-walled cells
A. Free-living
(extracellular bacteria)
1. Gram-positive
Pneumonia, pharyngitis,
a. Cocci Streptococcus pneumoniae

E
cellulitis
Abscess of skin and other
Staphylococcus aurous
organs
E
b. Spore-forming rods

E
(1) Aerobic Bacillus anthracis Anthrax
Tetanus, gas gangrene,
(2) Anaerobic Clostridium tetani
botulism
c. Non–spore-forming
rods
(1) Nonfilamentous Corynebacterium diphtheriae Diphtheria
Listeria monocytogenes
Meningitis
Or Listeria species
(2) Filamentous Actinomyces Actinomycosis
Nocardia Nocardiosis
2. Gram-negative
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Gonorrhea
a. Cocci
Neisseria meningitidis meningitis
b. Rods
(1) Facultative
(a) Straight
(i) Respiratory
Haemophilus influenzae Meningitis
organisms
Bordetella pertussis Whooping cough
Legionella Pneumonia
(ii) Zoonotic
Brucella (species) Brucellosis
organisms
Francisella tularensis Tularemia
Pasteurella multocida Cellulitis
Yersinia pestis Plague
 Characteristics Genus Representative Diseases
(iii) Enteric and Urinary tract infection,
Escherichia coli
related organisms diarrhea
Enterobacter species Urinary tract infection
Serratia species Pneumonia
Pneumonia, urinary tract
Klebsiella Pneumonia
infection
Salmonella typhi Enterocolitis, typhoid fever
Shigella specis Enterocolitis
Proteus specie Urinary tract infection
(b) Curved Campylobacter Enterocolitis
Helicobacter pylori Gastritis, peptic ulcer
Vibrio cholerae Cholera
Pneumonia, urinary tract
(2) Aerobic Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infection
(3) Anaerobic Bacteroides fragilis Peritonitis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Tuberculosis
3. Acid-fast
Mycobacterium leprae leprosy
B. Non–free-living
Rocky Mountain spotted
(obligate intracellular Rickettsia
fever, typhus, Q fever
parasites)
Urethritis, trachoma,
Chlamydia
psittacosis
II. Flexible, thin-walled cells
Treponema pallidum Syphilis
(spirochetes)
Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease
Borrelia recurrentis Relapsing fever
Leptospira species Leptospirosis
III. Wall-less cells Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia

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