TaxonomyandOverviewofHumanPathogenicBacteria 221
Table3. 9 Continued:OverviewoftheMedicallyMostImportantBacteria
Family
Genus,species
Characteristics Clinical
manifestations
Continued:Section2.
Clostridiumbotulinum Motile,neurotoxinsA,B,
andG
Botulism,usuallyingestion
oftoxinwithfood
Clostridiumperfringens
andfurtherclostridiae
Nonmotile,exotoxins,
andexoenzymes
1 .Anaerobiccellulitis
2.Gasgangrene
(myonecrosis)
Clostridiumdifficile Motile,enterotoxin(toxinA),
cytotoxin(toxinB)
Pseudomembranouscolitis
(oftenantiboticassociated)
Section3.Regular,nonsporing,Gram-positiverods
Listeriamonocytogenes Slenderrods,weakb-hemo-
lysisonbloodagar,motile
at 208 C,ubiquitous(soil)
Meningitis,sepsis
(neonates,immuno-
compromisedpersons),
epidemicgastroenteritis
ErysipelothrixrhusiopathiaeTransmittedfromdiseased
pigs
Erysipeloid(todayrare)
Gardnerellavaginalis Floraofthenormalgenital
mucosa
Contributestovaginosis
Section4.Irregular,nonsporing,Gram-positiverods
Corynebacteriaceae Mostlynormalbacterial
floraoftheskinandmucosa,
aerobic
Onlyfewspeciescause
disease
Corynebacterium
diphtheriae
Clubshape,pleomorphic,
diphtheriaexotoxin(A+B)
Diphtheria(throat,nose,
wounds)
Actinomycetaceae Normalbacterialfloraofthe
mucosa,anaerobicormicro-
aerophilic
Actinomycesisraeliiand
furtherActinomycesspp.
Filaments(alsobranched) Actinomycosis(cervico-
facial,thoracic,abdominal,
pelvic)
Nocardiaceae Nonmotile,obligately
aerobic,filaments,partially
acid-fast
Habitat:soilandaquatic
biotopes
3
Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme