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microbiology mnemonics NEET PG complete list bacteria virus fungi parasitology

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Now I have enough to compile a thorough, well-organized list. Here is the complete set of high-yield microbiology mnemonics for NEET PG, organized by topic:

🦠 Complete Microbiology Mnemonics for NEET PG

1. GENERAL BACTERIOLOGY

Gram-Positive Organisms

"PCS" (Gram-positive cocci in clusters) = Staphylococcus "GPS" (Gram-positive cocci in pairs/chains) = Streptococcus / Enterococcus

Catalase-Positive Organisms

"She PAN LESS"

Staphylococcus
Pseudomonas
Aspergillus
Nocardia
Listeria
E.coli
Serratia
Salmonella

Catalase-Negative (Important)

Streptococcus, Enterococcus (all catalase-NEGATIVE)

Coagulase-Positive

"Staph SHAL"

S.aureus
S.hyicus
S.intermedius (only these 3 are coagulase-positive staphylococci)

2. GRAM-POSITIVE COCCI

Streptococcus Grouping (Lancefield)

"ABCDEFG - B is blood"

Group A = S. pyogenes (throat, skin)
Group B = S. agalactiae (neonates, blood)
Group D = Enterococcus / S. bovis

Alpha-Hemolytic Streptococci

"VANS" = Viridans, Alpha, Not groupable by Lancefield, Streptococcus

CAMP Test Positive

"CAMP = Group B Strep (S. agalactiae)" - the classic one-liner

Bile Solubility Test

"BILE dissolves S. pneumoniae" (alpha-hemolytic, bile-soluble, optochin-sensitive)

Optochin-Sensitive vs Resistant

"STOP" = S. pneumoniae - Optochin Positive Viridans streptococci = Optochin RESISTANT

Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factors

"PEST"

Protein A (anti-phagocytic)
Exotoxins (TSST-1, exfoliatin)
Superantigens
Toxins (alpha, beta, delta, gamma)

3. GRAM-POSITIVE BACILLI

Spore-Forming Gram-Positive Bacilli

"BCA"

Bacillus (aerobic)
Clostridium (anaerobic)
Actinomyces... (wait - Actinomyces does NOT form spores - don't confuse)

Clostridium Species and Diseases

"TBHD"

Tetani - Tetanus (lockjaw, risus sardonicus)
Botulinum - Botulism (flaccid paralysis, descending)
Histolyticum / Perfringens - Gas gangrene
Difficile - Pseudomembranous colitis

Tetanus vs Botulism

"Tetanus = Tense (spastic); Botulism = Botox (flaccid)"

Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)

"3 Forms = CIP"

Cutaneous (most common, malignant pustule)
Inhalation (Woolsorter's disease)
Pulmonary / GI (least common)

Anthrax toxin = "ELP"

Edema factor
Lethal factor
Protective antigen (the carrier)

Corynebacterium diphtheriae

"CLUB = C.diphtheriae has Club-shaped rods (Chinese letter arrangement)" Toxin = ADP ribosylation of EF-2 (Elongation Factor 2) → stops protein synthesis

Listeria monocytogenes

"LAMP" - Listeria causes disease in:

Low immunity (pregnant, immunocompromised)
At birth (neonates)
Meningitis in adults >50
Pasteurized milk (resistant to cold, grows at 4°C - "cold enrichment")

Listeria motility = "Tumbling motility at 25°C, non-motile at 37°C" Umbrella-shaped motility in soft agar

4. GRAM-NEGATIVE COCCI

Neisseria

"Gonorrhea vs Meningitidis"

GoNorrhea = No capsule, No polysaccharide, oxidase (+), grows on Thayer-Martin
MeNingitidis = has capsule, causes Meningitis, Maltose fermenter

"GMF" = Gonorrhea doesn't ferment Maltose; Meningitidis Ferments Maltose (Both ferment glucose)

5. GRAM-NEGATIVE BACILLI (ENTEROBACTERIACEAE)

IMViC Pattern

Organism	Indole	MR	VP	Citrate
E. coli	+	+	-	-
Klebsiella	-	-	+	+

Mnemonic: "E. coli = IM+ VP-C-; Klebsiella = IM- VP+C+"

Lactose Fermenters (NEET PG favorite)

"KESC"

Klebsiella
E.coli
Serratia
Citrobacter

(+ Enterobacter, Hafnia) - "Keep Eating Seriously Cute Enterobacters"

Non-Lactose Fermenters

"SSPY"

Salmonella
Shigella
Proteus
Yersinia

H2S Producers

"SPS"

Salmonella
Proteus
Shigella? NO! - Shigella does NOT produce H2S (important negative!)

Only Salmonella and Proteus reliably produce H2S on TSI agar

Weil-Felix Reaction (Proteus agglutination for Rickettsia)

"OXK, OX2, OX19 - Remember OX19 is most important for Typhus"

OX-19 = Epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii), Murine typhus, Spotted fever
OX-2 = Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (also)
OX-K = Scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi) - ONLY OXK positive

E. coli Pathotypes

"EEPITE"

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) - Traveler's diarrhea, heat-labile/stable toxin
Enteropathogenic (EPEC) - Infant diarrhea
Produce attaching-effacing (EPEC, EHEC)
Invasive (EIEC) - Dysentery like Shigella
Toxin-producing (EHEC) - O157:H7, HUS
Enteroadherent (EAEC)

ETEC Toxin = "LT = Like cholera (cAMP); ST = stimulates cGMP"

Salmonella

"4 Fevers of Salmonella"

Typhi = Enteric fever (rose spots, relative bradycardia)
Typhimurium = Gastroenteritis (most common Salmonella)
Choleraesuis = Bacteremia/septicemia
Dublin = liver abscess

Widal test: O antigen rises first; H antigen rises later "O comes before H in alphabet = O rises first"

Shigella (4 Ds)

"4 Ds" = Diarrhea, Dysentery, Dehydration, Death (in severe cases) Species: "DSBS"

Dysenteriae (most virulent, Shiga toxin)
Sonnei (most common in developed countries)
Boydii
Some remember by: "Dead Soldiers Beat Sonically"

Vibrio cholerae

"El Tor survives longer" (biotype El Tor more environmentally stable) Toxin mechanism: CT → ADP ribosylates Gs → constitutive cAMP → chloride secretion → "Rice water stools" "TCBS agar = Thiosulfate Citrate Bile salts Sucrose" - yellow colonies = Vibrio cholerae

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

"GRAPE"

Green pigment (pyocyanin + pyoverdin)
Resistant to many antibiotics
Aerobic obligate
Pneumonia in CF patients / Pool hot tub folliculitis
Exotoxin A (same mechanism as diphtheria - ADP ribosylates EF-2)

Agar = Cetrimide agar (selective for Pseudomonas)

6. FASTIDIOUS GRAM-NEGATIVE ORGANISMS

HACEK Group

"HACEK"

Haemophilus
Aggregibacter (Actinobacillus)
Cardiobacterium
Eikenella
Kingella

All cause subacute bacterial endocarditis, need X and V factors (Haemophilus)

Haemophilus influenzae

"X and V factors" - grows on chocolate agar

X factor = Hemin
V factor = NAD

"XV = 15 (roman numerals)" - Haemophilus needs both to grow

Bordetella pertussis

"CPA" toxin = Cough-Pertussis-Adenylate

Pertussis toxin (PT) = ADP ribosylates Gi → increases cAMP
Adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) = directly increases cAMP
"Whooping cough - the whoop is on inspiration"

Culture media = Bordet-Gengou agar ("mercury drop" colonies)

Brucella

"4 species infect humans: MASC"

Melitensis (goats - most virulent)
Abortus (cattle)
Suis (pigs)
Canis (dogs)

7. ANAEROBES

Anaerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli

"BAFFLED"

Bacteroides fragilis (most common anaerobic infection, intra-abdominal)
Resistant to Penicillin (due to beta-lactamase)
Tx: Metronidazole (drug of choice for anaerobes)

Actinomyces vs Nocardia

Feature	Actinomyces	Nocardia
Gram stain	Gram+	Gram+
Aerobic/Anaerobic	Anaerobic	Aerobic
Acid-fast	No (partially)	Yes (partially - modified ZN)
Sulfur granules	Yes	Yes
Location	Oral/cervicofacial	Pulmonary/disseminated
Treatment	Penicillin	Sulfonamides (TMP-SMX)

"A for Anaerobic Actinomyces; N for Non-acid-fast Nocardia? NO - Nocardia IS partially AFB" Better: "Nocardia = No Normal acid fast (modified ZN); Actinomyces = Anaerobic Abscess"

8. MYCOBACTERIA

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

"RIPE" therapy (1st line anti-TB)

Rifampicin
Isoniazid
Pyrazinamide
Ethambutol

INH (Isoniazid) Side Effects

"HELP"

Hepatotoxicity
Elevated LFTs
Lupus-like syndrome
Peripheral neuropathy (prevented by pyridoxine/B6)

Rifampicin Side Effects

"ROAR"

Red-orange secretions (urine, tears, saliva)
Oral contraceptive failure (enzyme inducer)
Anemia (hemolytic)
Resistance develops rapidly if used alone

Atypical Mycobacteria (NTM) - Runyon Classification

"PREP"

Photochromogens (Group I) - M. kansasii (yellow on light exposure)
Run... (Group II) Scotochromogens - yellow in dark (M. scrofulaceum)
(Group III) Nonchromogens - M. avium complex (MAC), M. ulcerans
(Group IV) Rapid growers (< 7 days) - M. fortuitum, M. chelonae

"KSF rapidly" = Kansasii (I), Scrofulaceum (II), (III = Fortuitum rapid = IV)"

Leprosy

"TT vs LL" "TT = Tuberculoid (T-cell mediated, few bacilli, hypopigmented patches, nerve damage)" "LL = Lepromatous (humoral, many bacilli = multibacillary, leonine facies, Virchow cells)"

Dx: Lepromin test - positive in TT, NEGATIVE in LL "Lepromin = Positive in self-healing (TT) type"

9. SPIROCHETES

Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)

"1-2-3 stages"

Primary = Painless chancre (hard)
Secondary = "PALM" - Papular rash, Alopecia, Lymphadenopathy, Mucous patches
Tertiary = "GNAT" - Gummas, Neurosyphilis, Aortitis, Tabes dorsalis

Serological tests:

"VDRL = Venereal Disease Research Lab" (non-treponemal, screening)
FTA-ABS = confirmatory (most sensitive in primary)

False-positive VDRL: "SLAM"

SLE
Leprosy
Antiphospholipid syndrome
Mononucleosis (EBV) / Malaria

Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme Disease)

"3 stages = ECL"

Erythema migrans (bull's eye rash - Stage 1)
Cardiac (AV block) + joint (Stage 2)
Late neurological + arthritis (Stage 3)

Vector = Ixodes tick ("I = Ixodes for Lyme")

Leptospira

"Well's disease = Weil's disease = jaundice + renal failure + hemorrhage" Vector = rats, contaminated water Dx = "MAT" - Microscopic Agglutination Test

10. RICKETTSIA

Rickettsia Classification

"RMSF = Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever = R. rickettsii = Rash starts on palms and soles" "Typhus = Trunk first, then spreads peripherally (centrifugal)" "RMSF = Periphery first (palms/soles), spreads centrally (centripetal)"

Weil-Felix Reaction Summary

Disease	Organism	Weil-Felix
Epidemic typhus	R. prowazekii	OX-19, OX-2
RMSF	R. rickettsii	OX-19, OX-2
Scrub typhus	Orientia tsutsugamushi	OX-K only
Murine typhus	R. typhi	OX-19

"Scrub = Only OX-K (K for Kumamoto, Japan)"

11. VIROLOGY

DNA Viruses

"HHAPPP ADd" (DNA viruses are double-stranded EXCEPT Parvo)

Herpesviruses (HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV, HHV-6, 7, 8)
Hepadnavirus (HBV - partially ds DNA)
Adenovirus
Papovavirus (HPV, JC, BK)
Poxvirus (largest DNA virus)
Parvovirus (smallest, ssDNA - the exception)

"Please Have A Perfect Posture" = Papova, Hepadna, Adeno, Parvo, Pox

RNA Viruses

"REOVIRUS + RETROVIRUSES are double-stranded RNA" All others = single-stranded RNA

Positive-sense RNA (can directly translate) "PIANO + FLAP"

Picornavirus (Polio, Rhino, Hep A, Coxsackie)
Flavivirus (Dengue, HCV, Yellow fever, West Nile)
LA (Hep A - already in Picorna)
Arbovirus
Plague... (Togavirus - Rubella)

Negative-sense RNA (needs RNA-dependent RNA polymerase first) "PARABRO"

Paramyxovirus (Measles, Mumps, RSV, Parainfluenza)
Arena (Lassa fever)
Rhabdovirus (Rabies)
Arena
Bunya
Rhino...
Orthomyxovirus (Influenza)

Simple: "Negative sense RNA = PORN" = Paramyxo, Orthomyxo, Rhabdo, Negative (others)

Hepatitis Summary

Virus	Type	Route	Chronic?	Vaccine?
Hep A	ssRNA (+)	Feco-oral	No	Yes
Hep B	dsDNA (partial)	Blood/sexual	Yes	Yes
Hep C	ssRNA (+) Flavi	Blood	Yes (70-85%)	No
Hep D	ssRNA (-)	Needs HBV	Yes	(via HBV vaccine)
Hep E	ssRNA (+)	Feco-oral	No (YES in pregnancy)	No (mostly)

"AE = Feco-oral (Alimentary/Enteral)" "BC = Blood-borne (Both Chronic)"

"Hep E = Especially dangerous in pregnancy (20-40% mortality)"

Herpesvirus Family

"8 Herpesviruses = 2 simple, 2 varicella, 2 CMV, 2 HHV"

HSV-1 = Oral herpes, encephalitis (temporal lobe)
HSV-2 = Genital herpes, neonatal herpes
VZV (HHV-3) = Chickenpox + Shingles
EBV (HHV-4) = Mono, Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin
CMV (HHV-5) = Immunocompromised (owl-eye inclusion cells)
HHV-6 = Roseola infantum (exanthem subitum)
HHV-7 = Roseola (less common)
HHV-8 = Kaposi sarcoma (in AIDS)

"Roseola = 6 months old child = HHV-6"

HIV

"CD4 count thresholds = 500-200-100-50"

<500: Oral thrush, Herpes zoster, Kaposi sarcoma
<200: PCP (Pneumocystis), Toxoplasma (brain)
<100: Cryptococcus meningitis, Cryptosporidiosis
<50: CMV retinitis, MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex), CNS lymphoma

"500-200-100-50 = PCTC" = PCP, Crypto (toxo), Crypto (neoformans), CMV

Influenza

"Antigenic Shift = pandemic (major change, new HA/NA)" "Antigenic Drift = epidemic (minor mutations)" "SHift = Sudden/pandemic; Drift = gradual/epidemic"

12. MYCOLOGY

Fungi - Dimorphic

"BCHSP are dimorphic (mold in cold, yeast in heat)"

Blastomyces
Coccidioides (NOT truly dimorphic by temp - but dimorphic in vivo)
Histoplasma
Sporotrichosis (Sporothrix schenckii)
Paracoccidioides

"Be Cold, Have Some Patience" = dimorphic fungi

Histoplasma capsulatum

"OHIO and Mississippi River valleys" "Bird/bat droppings" "Intracellular in macrophages" (unlike Blastomyces which is extracellular) Dx = urine antigen test

Cryptococcus neoformans

"INDIA INK = halo around capsule" "Pigeon droppings" "AIDS + Meningitis = Cryptococcus until proven otherwise" Latex agglutination test (capsular antigen) = most sensitive

Candida albicans

"Germ tube test positive at 37°C in serum" "Pseudohyphae" "Thrush + Diaper rash + Vaginal candidiasis"

Aspergillus

"45° angle branching (Aspergillus = Acute angle)" vs Mucor = 90° wide angle branching, ribbon-like hyphae

"Aspergilloma = fungus ball in old TB cavity" "Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)"

Dermatophytes

"MTE"

Microsporum (hair + skin, not nails)
Trichophyton (hair + skin + nails)
Epidermophyton (skin + nails, NOT hair)

"Trichophyton = Tinea capitis most common cause" Wood's lamp: "Microsporum fluoresces green" (Trichophyton does NOT)

13. PARASITOLOGY

Malaria Species

"FVOM" = Fatal, Vivid, Often, Mild

Falciparum = Fatal (most dangerous, banana gametocytes, no relapse)
Vivax = Vivid relapses (hypnozoites in liver)
Ovale = Oval RBCs, relapses
Malariae = Mild (quartan fever every 72h, nephrotic syndrome)

Fever patterns:

Falciparum = Irregular / quotidian
Vivax/Ovale = Tertian (48h = every 3rd day)
Malariae = Quartan (72h = every 4th day)

Plasmodium falciparum Specifics

"Banana + Maurer + Schuffner NO"

Banana-shaped gametocytes
Maurer's dots (stippling)
Schüffner's dots = Vivax/Ovale (NOT Falciparum)

Leishmania

"CVM" = Cutaneous, Visceral (Kala Azar), Mucocutaneous

Sandfly vector (Phlebotomus)
Dx = LD bodies (Leishman-Donovan) = amastigotes in macrophages
Aldehyde test (Napier's) = Visceral Leishmaniasis
Kala-Azar = Killing via Amastigotes in macrophages

Entamoeba histolytica

"Flask-shaped ulcers" in colon "Anchovy sauce" pus in liver abscess "4-8 nuclei" in cyst (up to 4 nuclei in mature cyst) Dx = cyst with chromatoid bars (cigar-shaped)

Giardia lamblia

"Tear-drop trophozoite with 2 nuclei = Owl face" "Steatorrhea + NO blood/mucus" (upper GI = malabsorption) "Cysts in water = camping diarrhea"

Toxoplasma gondii

"CAT = definitive host" "3 Cs" = Chorioretinitis, Calcifications (intracranial), CNS disease (congenital) Sabin-Feldman dye test = gold standard serology

Wuchereria bancrofti (Filariasis)

"W = Wuchereria = Worms in lymphatics = elephantiasis" Vector = Culex mosquito Blood smear = nocturnal periodicity (microfilariae peak at night)

Taenia

Feature	T. solium (Pork)	T. saginata (Beef)
Scolex	Hooks + suckers	Suckers only (NO hooks)
Segments	< 13 branches	> 13 branches
Cysticercosis	YES (humans = intermediate)	No (humans = dead end)

"Solium = Solo hooks; Saginata = no hooks (safe beef)"

Ascaris lumbricoides

"LARGEST intestinal nematode" "Loffler's syndrome" = pulmonary eosinophilia during larval migration "Jack-in-the-box obstruction" = intestinal obstruction with heavy load

14. IMMUNOLOGY

Immunoglobulins

"GAMED" in decreasing serum concentration

G = IgG (most abundant, crosses placenta, secondary response)
A = IgA (secretory, dimer, breast milk, saliva)
M = IgM (pentamer, primary response, ABO blood group antibodies)
E = IgE (allergy, parasites, lowest concentration)
D = IgD (B cell surface receptor)

Complement Pathways

"CALM" for Classical pathway activation: C1 → C4 → C2 → C3 → C5-9 (MAC) "1-4-2-3" (note: C4 comes before C2)

"Alternative pathway = BPFD" = Bacteria, Properdin, Factor B, Factor D

T-Cell Subtypes

"TH1 = fights intracellular bugs (TB, viruses) via IFN-gamma" "TH2 = fights extracellular bugs + parasites via IL-4, IL-5, IL-13" "Treg = Tolerance (IL-10, TGF-beta)"

Important Cytokines

"IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha = FEVER trio (endogenous pyrogens)" "IL-2 = T-cell proliferation" "IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 = TH2/allergy" "IL-10 = anti-inflammatory" "IL-12 = TH1 differentiation" "IFN-gamma = macrophage activation"

15. CULTURE MEDIA - QUICK RECALL

Medium	Organism
Blood agar	General purpose; Streptococcus hemolysis
Chocolate agar	Haemophilus, Neisseria
Thayer-Martin	N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis
MacConkey	Gram-negatives; lactose fermenters = pink
TCBS	Vibrio cholerae (yellow colonies)
Bordet-Gengou	Bordetella pertussis
Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ)	Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Loeffler's serum	C. diphtheriae (Albert staining)
BCYE	Legionella pneumophila
Sabouraud's	Fungi
Selenite-F broth	Salmonella (enrichment)
XLD / DCA agar	Salmonella & Shigella

"LJ Grows LJ (Long Journey = slow grower = Mycobacteria)" "BCYE = Big City, You Enter = Legionella loves city AC units"

16. STAINING TECHNIQUES

Stain	Organism
Gram stain	Most bacteria
ZN / AFB stain	Mycobacteria, Nocardia (modified)
India ink	Cryptococcus neoformans
Albert's stain	C. diphtheriae (metachromatic granules)
PAS stain	Fungi, Tropheryma whipplei
Silver stain (GMS)	Pneumocystis jirovecii
Giemsa	Malaria, Leishmania, Rickettsia, Borrelia
Dark field microscopy	Treponema pallidum
Immunofluorescence	Rabies (Negri bodies), T. pallidum

"INK = India iNK for Cryptococcus" "ZN = Ziehl-Neelsen for aciD fast (Mycobacterium)"

BONUS: QUICK-FIRE ASSOCIATIONS

Negri bodies = Rabies (in Purkinje/hippocampal cells)
Owl-eye inclusions = CMV
Cowdry A bodies = HSV / VZV
Guarnieri bodies = Smallpox (Poxvirus)
Torres bodies = Yellow fever
Warthin-Finkeldey cells = Measles
Donovan bodies = Granuloma inguinale (Klebsiella granulomatis)
Councilman bodies = Yellow fever (acidophilic hepatocyte inclusions)

"DOGS eat Donovan's = Donovan bodies = Klebsiella granulomatis"

Tip for NEET PG: Focus on the bolded mnemonics above, as questions most commonly test culture media, inclusion bodies, toxin mechanisms, virulence factors, and diagnostic tests. The IMViC reactions, Weil-Felix patterns, and CD4 thresholds in HIV appear almost every year.

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