Pathogenic Bacteria List

Bacteria are found everywhere in the world in air, water, food, soil, deep into the oceans, even on the top of Mt. Everest. There are different types of bacteria present all over the human body and even within the human body. There are many good bacteria that live within the digestive system. They help control the growth of pathogenic bacteria and also help the immune system fight any infection. Many bacteria contain enzymes that help in breaking down chemical bonds in the food we eat and thus help us receive optimum nutrition.

Bacteria that grows on the human body without causing any disease or infection, is known as colonizing bacteria. When, one gets a cut or is injured, that results in breakage or opening of the skin barrier, some opportunistic pathogens gain entry into the body. If the person is healthy and has a strong immune system, it fights off the unwanted entry. However, if a person is weak, it results in development of a disease caused by bacteria. These bacteria that cause health problems are called human pathogenic bacteria. These disease causing bacteria can also gain entry into the body through, food, water, air, saliva and other body fluids. The pathogenic bacteria list is very large, let us first see a few examples of pathogenic diseases.

Examples of Pathogenic Diseases

Streptococcus
The streptococcus is a common bacteria that is present in the human body. However, some strains of streptococci can cause many human diseases. The human pathogenic bacteria like streptococcus pyogenes (strep group A) causes bacterial pharyngitis, that is, strep throat. Strep throat that is not treated soon may lead to rheumatic fever and glomerulonephritis. The other infections include impetigo and the worst of all necrotizing fasciitis (fllesh eating bacteria).

Staphylococcus
The most common human pathogenic bacteria is staphylococcus, particularly Staphylococcus aureus. Staph is present on the skin and in the mucous membranes. When it gets an opportunity, it does not shy away from causing superficial and systemic infections. The examples of pathogenic diseases by this bacteria include boils, impetigo, folliculitis. It can also cause serious infections of pneumonia, bacteremia and infections of wounds and bones. There are several toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus that lead to food poisoning and toxic shock syndrome.

The other examples of pathogenic diseases include:

• Gonorrhea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Ear Infections
• Dysentery
• Septicemia
• Toxinoses
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Botulism

I can go on and on with the list of pathogenic diseases. The following pathogenic bacteria list will help you get an idea on the various disease and causative bacteria.

Infectious Bacteria List

Human Pathogenic Bacteria	Pathogenic Disease
Bacillus anthracis	Cutaneous anthrax Pulmonary anthrax Gastrointestinal anthrax
Bordetella pertussis	Whooping cough Secondary bacterial pneumonia (Complication)
Borrelia burgdorferi	Lyme disease
Brucella abortus Brucella canis Brucella melitensis Brucella suis	Brucellosis
Campylobacter jejuni	Acute enteritis
Chlamydia pneumoniae	Community-acquired respiratory infection
Chlamydia psittaci	Psittacosis
Chlamydia trachomatis	Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) Trachoma Inclusion conjunctivitis of the newborn (ICN) Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV)
Clostridium botulinum	Botulism
Clostridium difficile	Pseudomembranous colitis
Clostridium perfringens	Gas gangrene Acute food poisoning Anaerobic cellulitis
Clostridium tetani	Tetanus
Corynebacterium diphtheriae	Diphtheria
Enterococcus faecalis Enterococcus faecium	Nosocomial infections
Escherichia coli	Urinary tract infections (UTI) Diarrhea Meningitis in infants
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)	Traveler's diarrhea
Enteropathogenic E. coli	Diarrhea in infants
E. coli (O157:H7)	Hemorrhagic colitis Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Francisella tularensis	Tularemia
Haemophilus influenzae	Bacterial meningitis Upper respiratory tract infections Pneumonia Bronchitis
Helicobacter pylori	Peptic ulcer Risk factor for gastric carcinoma Gastric B-cell lymphoma
Legionella pneumophila	Legionnaire's Disease Pontiac fever
Leptospira interrogans	Leptospirosis
Listeria monocytogenes	Listeriosis
Mycobacterium leprae	Leprosy (Hansens disease)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis	Tuberculosis
Mycoplasma pneumoniae	Mycoplasma pneumonia
Neisseria gonorrhoeae	Gonorrhea Ophthalmia neonatorum Septic arthritis
Neisseria meningitidis	Meningococcal disease including meningitis Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Localized infection of eye, ear, skin, urinary, respiratory Gastrointestinal tract infection Central Nervous System infection Systemic infection with bacteremia Secondary pneumonia Bone and joint infections Endocarditis
Rickettsia rickettsii	Rocky mountain spotted fever
Salmonella typhi	Typhoid fever type salmonellosis Dysentery Colitis
Salmonella typhimurium	Salmonellosis with gastroenteritis and enterocolitis
Shigella sonnei	Bacillary dysentery/Shigellosis
Staphylococcus aureusa	Coagulase-positive staphylococcal infections: Localized skin infections Diffuse skin infection (Impetigo) Deep, localized infections Acute infective endocarditis Septicemia Necrotizing pneumonia Toxinoses Toxic shock syndrome Staphylococcal food poisoning
Staphylococcus epidermidis	Infections of implanted prostheses e.g. heart valves and catheters
Staphylococcus saprophyticus	Cystitis in women
Streptococcus agalactiae	Meningitis and septicemia in neonates Endometritis in postpartum women Opportunistic infections with septicemia and pneumonia
Streptococcus pneumoniae	Acute bacterial pneumonia & meningitis in adults Otitis media and sinusitis in children
Streptococcus pyogenes	Streptococcal pharyngitis Scarlet fever Rheumatic fever Impetigo and erysipelas Puerperal fever Necrotizing fasciitis
Treponema pallidum	Syphilis Congenital syphilis
Vibrio cholerae	Cholera
Yersinia pestis	Plague Bubonic plague Pneumonic plague

This was a pathogenic bacteria list and examples of pathogenic diseases. Human pathogenic bacteria can lead to many serious diseases, epidemics and pandemics. You may have heard of Black Palgue of the middle ages that was caused by Yersinia pestis, that was the deadliest pandemic in human history. With the development of personal hygiene and cleanliness, the occurrences of epidemics and pandemics have decreased significantly.