Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria list
Reading File
Finding Sources
Searching the Web
aerobic anaerobic bacteria classification list medical microbiology
Finding Sources
Finding Sources
Reading File
Reading File
Reading File
Finding Sources
Here is a thorough, clinically organized reference list of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, drawn from Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine, Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, Goldman-Cecil Medicine, and supplemented by standard medical microbiology.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria - Clinical Reference List
Classification Overview
Bacteria are grouped by their oxygen requirement:
| Category | Oxygen Requirement |
|---|---|
| Obligate (strict) aerobes | Require O2 to grow |
| Microaerophiles | Grow best at low O2 tension |
| Facultative anaerobes | Grow with or without O2 |
| Aerotolerant anaerobes | Tolerate O2 but do not use it |
| Obligate (strict) anaerobes | Cannot survive in the presence of O2 |
AEROBIC BACTERIA
Obligate Aerobes
These bacteria require oxygen and cannot grow without it.
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Mycobacterium tuberculosis | TB; strict aerobe, thrives in O2-rich lung apices |
| Mycobacterium leprae | Leprosy |
| Nocardia asteroides | Pulmonary/CNS nocardiosis |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Opportunistic; burns, cystic fibrosis, UTI |
| Bordetella pertussis | Whooping cough |
| Francisella tularensis | Tularemia |
| Bacillus anthracis | Anthrax (aerobic spore-former) |
Microaerophiles
Grow best at 5-10% O2 (less than atmospheric).
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Campylobacter jejuni | Most common bacterial gastroenteritis |
| Helicobacter pylori | Peptic ulcers, gastric cancer |
| Treponema pallidum | Syphilis |
| Borrelia burgdorferi | Lyme disease |
FACULTATIVE ANAEROBES
Grow aerobically or anaerobically; very commonly encountered in clinical practice.
Gram-Negative Rods (Enterobacteriaceae and others)
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | UTI, neonatal meningitis, gastroenteritis |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | Hospital-acquired pneumonia, UTI |
| Proteus mirabilis | UTI, struvite stones |
| Salmonella typhi | Typhoid fever |
| Salmonella spp. | Gastroenteritis, bacteremia |
| Shigella spp. | Dysentery |
| Yersinia pestis | Plague |
| Yersinia enterocolitica | Gastroenteritis |
| Haemophilus influenzae | Meningitis, epiglottitis, pneumonia |
| Vibrio cholerae | Cholera |
| Aeromonas hydrophila | Wound infections, gastroenteritis |
Gram-Positive Cocci
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Staphylococcus aureus | Abscesses, endocarditis, MRSA, toxic shock |
| Staphylococcus epidermidis | Catheter infections, prosthetic valve endocarditis |
| Staphylococcus saprophyticus | UTI in young women |
| Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A) | Pharyngitis, rheumatic fever, cellulitis |
| Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B) | Neonatal meningitis/sepsis |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | Pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media |
| Enterococcus faecalis/faecium | UTI, endocarditis |
Gram-Positive Rods
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Listeria monocytogenes | Meningitis in pregnant women, neonates, elderly |
| Corynebacterium diphtheriae | Diphtheria |
ANAEROBIC BACTERIA
Gram-Negative Rods (most common anaerobic pathogens)
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Bacteroides fragilis | #1 anaerobic pathogen; intra-abdominal abscesses, peritonitis |
| Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron | Colon flora; infections post-bowel surgery |
| Bacteroides vulgatus | Intra-abdominal infections |
| Bacteroides ovatus | Colon; post-surgical infection |
| Prevotella melaninogenica | Oral/pulmonary infections, aspiration pneumonia |
| Prevotella intermedia | Periodontal disease |
| Prevotella bivia | Female genital tract infections |
| Prevotella denticola | Oral anaerobic infections |
| Porphyromonas gingivalis | Periodontitis |
| Fusobacterium nucleatum | Lemierre's syndrome, periodontal disease |
| Fusobacterium necrophorum | Lemierre's syndrome, pharyngitis complications |
| Bilophila wadsworthia | Gangrenous cholecystitis |
| Parabacteroides distasonis | GI flora; opportunistic infections |
Gram-Positive Cocci
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Peptostreptococcus anaerobius | Mixed wound infections, abscesses |
| Finegoldia magna | Skin/soft tissue, bone infections |
| Peptoniphilus asaccharolyticus | Wound/abscess infections |
| Anaerococcus vaginalis | Female genital tract infections |
| Parvimonas micra | Oral/dental infections, endocarditis |
Gram-Positive Spore-Forming Rods (Clostridia) - Most Virulent Anaerobes
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Clostridium perfringens | Gas gangrene (myonecrosis), food poisoning |
| Clostridioides difficile | Antibiotic-associated colitis, pseudomembranous colitis |
| Clostridium tetani | Tetanus |
| Clostridium botulinum | Botulism (foodborne, wound, infant) |
| Clostridium septicum | Gas gangrene; associated with colorectal cancer |
| Clostridium novyi | Gas gangrene |
| Clostridium ramosum | GI and wound infections |
| Clostridium bifermentans | Wound infections |
Gram-Positive Non-Spore-Forming Rods
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Actinomyces israelii | Actinomycosis (cervicofacial, thoracic, abdominal) |
| Actinomyces naeslundii | Dental plaque, periodontal disease |
| Actinomyces odontolyticus | Dental caries |
| Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium) | Acne vulgaris, prosthetic joint/implant infections |
| Propionibacterium propionicum | Lacrimal canaliculitis, actinomycosis-like infections |
| Eubacterium spp. | Colon flora; root canal infections |
| Bifidobacterium breve | Neonatal intestinal flora; rarely pathogenic |
| Lactobacillus spp. (anaerobic) | Normal vaginal/GI flora; rarely cause bacteremia |
| Mobiluncus curtissii | Bacterial vaginosis |
Gram-Negative Cocci
| Organism | Key Features / Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|
| Veillonella parvula | Oral flora; endocarditis, meningitis (rare) |
| Veillonella dispar | Oral/respiratory flora |
Key Memory Aids
"NACHO" - Obligate Aerobes: Nocardia, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, (Myco)bacteria tuberculosis, Bordetella pertussis, Francisella tularensis
Strict Anaerobes mnemonic - "FAB PC CCC":
- Fusobacterium, Actinomyces, Bacteroides fragilis, Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium spp.
Most clinically important anaerobes by site:
| Site | Key Anaerobes |
|---|---|
| Oral/dental | Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Peptostreptococcus |
| Lung (aspiration) | Fusobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, Bacteroides |
| Intra-abdominal | Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium, Peptostreptococcus |
| Female genital tract | Prevotella bivia, Peptostreptococcus, Bacteroides |
| Skin/soft tissue | Clostridium perfringens, Cutibacterium acnes, Finegoldia |
Sources: Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine 7e; Fitzpatrick's Dermatology; Goldman-Cecil Medicine; Murray & Nadel's Respiratory Medicine; ScienceDirect Anaerobic Bacterium Overview
This is a shared conversation. Sign in to Orris to start your own chat.