GSE
Body's Flora - On Body Surfaces
Bacteria
Commonly Found on Surfaces of the Body
BACTERIUM
Skin
Conjunctiva
Nose
Pharynx
Mouth
Lower Intestine
Anterior urethra
Vagina
Staphylococcus epidermidis
(1)
++
+
++
++
++
+
++
++
Staphylococcus aureus *
(2)
+
Rare
+
+
+
++
Rare
+
Streptococcus mitis
+
++
Rare
+
+
Streptococcus salivarius
++
++
Streptococcus mutans * (3)
+
++
Enterococcus faecalis * (4)
Rare
+
++
+
+
Streptococcus pneumoniae *
(5)
Rare
Rare
+
+
Rare
Streptococcus pyogenes *
(6)
Rare
Rare
+
+
Rare
Rare
Streptococcus sanguis
++
Neisseria sp. (7)
+
+
++
+
+
+
Neisseria meningitidis *
(7a)
+
++
+
+
Veillonellae sp.
+
Rare
Enterobacteriaceae *
(Escherichia coli) (8)
Rare
Rare
Rare
+
++
+
+
Proteus sp.
Rare
+
+
+
+
+
+
Pseudomonas aeruginosa *
(9)
Rare
Rare
+
Rare
Haemophilus influenzae *
(10)
Rare
+
+
+
Bacteroides sp. *
(11)
++
+
Rare
Bifidobact ERIUM
bifidum
(12)
++
LACTO BACILLUS sp.
(13)
+
++
++
++
CLOSTRIDIUM sp. *
(14)
Rare
++
CLOSTRIDIUM tetani (15)
Rare
CORYNEBACTERIA
(16)
++
+
++
+
+
+
+
+
MYCOBACTERIA
+
Rare
Rare
+
+
Actinomycetes
+
+
Spirochetes
+
++
++
Mycoplasmas
+
+
+
Rare
+
++ = Almost Always+ = common
* = Normal
flora, but potential opportunistic pathogen in humans
(they are both
aerobic and
anaerobic)
(1) Staphylococcus epidermidis
(2) Staphylococcus aureus
- potential pathogen;eading
cause of human bacterial disease; can be transmitted from the nasal membranes of
an asymptomatic carrier to a susceptible host.
(3)
Streptococcus mutans -
primary opportunistic bacterium involved in plaque formation and initiation of
dental caries. Enterococcus faecalis E. coli Streptococcus pneumoniae If it invades the lower respiratory tract it can cause pneumonia Streptococcus pneumoniae causes 95% of all bacterial pneumonia.
(6) Streptococcus pyogenes
(7)
Neisseria sp. Gram-negative cocci; frequent inhabitants of the upper
respiratory tract, mainly the pharynx.
(7a) Neisseria meningitides - responsible for
bacterial meningitis and can colonize
until host develops immunity against it.
(8) E. coli - Klebsiella, Enterobacter and
Citrobacter.
Some strains ofE. coli are pathogens
causing intestinal infections, urinary tract infections(UTIs) and neonatal
meningitis.
(9) Pseudomonas aeruginosa leading cause of
hospital-acquired (nosocomial) Gram-negative
infection;
(10) Haemophilus influenzae -
frequent secondary invader to viral
influenza;leading cause of meningitis in infants and children until Hflu type B
vaccine availability.
(11)
Bacteroides sp. - most prevalent bacteria in the lower intestines and colon;
Gram-negative ,
anaerobic, non-sporeforming bacteria; implicated
in the initiation colitis and colon cancer.
(12)
Bifidobacteria -
Gram-positive ,
non-sporeforming, lactic acid bacteria; so-called "friendly" bacteria in human intestine; Bifidobacteri UM bifidum
(13)
Lactobacilli -
Lactobacillus acidophilus colonizes the
vaginal epithelium during child-bearing years establishing low pH that inhibits
the growth of pathogens.
(14)
Clostridium sp. - numerous
species colonize the bowel.Clostridium
perfringens
Clostridium difficile may colonize the bowel and cause "antibiotic-induced diarrhea" or
pseudomembranous colitis.
(15) Clostridium tetani
(16) The corynebacteria,
and certain related propionic acid bacteria, are consistent skin flora.Some have been implicated as a cause of acne.Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the agent of diphtheria, was
considered a member of the normal flora before the widespread use of the
diphtheria toxoid, which is used to immunize against the disease.
