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Taxonomy Family: Bifidobateriaceae Before the 1960s, Bifidobacterium species were collectively referred to as "Lactobacillus bifidus" Natural habitats They belong to the normal flora of the gut and oral cavity. Some bifidobacteria are used as probiotics. Clinical significance Bifidobacteria and lactobacilli play an important role in the development of the healthy gut and its associated immune defenses. Because of this, they are generally considered to be non-pathogenic but nevertheless are isolated from infections of polymicrobial etiology. Dental caries is the most common clinical entity in which Bifidobacterium, mainly B. dentium.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Hungatella hathewayi Formely: Clostridium hathewayi Natural habitats Is a resident of the human gastrointestinal tract recently identified as novel species by 16S rRNA sequencing. Clinical significance The clinical significance of these species remains unknown. They have been isolated from a variety of human infections, including a fatal case of sepsis
Taxonomy Fam: Erysipelotrichaceae Formely: Lactobacillus catenaformis Natural habitats Human faeces Clinical significance Eggerthia catenaformis can cause dental abscess, intestinal and pleura infections and bacteremia. Eggerthia catenaformis is easily identified with MALDI-TOF MS
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Thomasclavella ramosa Formely: Clostridium ramosum Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature, being found in the soil and feces from animals and human. Isolated from infants and adult feces. They may be found in other parts of the human body. Clinical significance The 2 most frequently encountered in wound and abscess materials are C. perfringens and C. ramosum. Identified from clinical specimens from children, including those with abscesses, peritonitis, bacteremia, and chronic otitis media. Bacteremia in adults.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats C. tetani and his spores can be isolated from a variety of sources, including soil and the intestinal contents of numerous animal species. Clinical significance. Tetanus, caused by C. tetani, is often associated with puncture wounds that do not appear to be infected. A potent neurotoxin, often referred to as tetanospasmin, is elaborated at the site of trauma and rapidly binds to neural tissue, provoking a characteristic paralysis and tonic spasms. Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is an infection characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. These spasms usually last a few minutes each time and occur frequently for three to four weeks. Other symptoms may include: fever, headache, trouble swallowing, high blood pressure, and a fast heart rate. Onset of symptoms is typically three to twenty one days following infection. It may take months to recover. About 10% of those infected die.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Found in soil and gut of humans and other animals Clinical significance. Is considered to be a weak pathogen, but it has been implicated in severe infections, and has been increasingly recognized as a cause of bacteremia and other infections in immunocompromised patients, especially those with hematologic malignancies.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature. Isolated from soil, marine and fresh water lake sediment, preserved meat and dairy products and in feces Clinical significance. Infections in humans including bacteremia, infective endocarditis, central nervous system and pleura pulmonary infections, abscesses, war wounds and other pyogenic infections. Although C. sporogenes is isolated from infections, these infections are usually polymicrobial and the roll, if any, of this species as a pathogen in such infections has not been established
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Paraclostridium sordellii Formely: Clostridium sordellii Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature Clinical significance. Is capable of causing pneumonia, endocarditis, arthritis, peritonitis and myonecrosis, bacteremia and sepsis occur rarely. Most cases of sepsis from C. sordellii occur in patients with underlying conditions. Severe toxic shock syndrome among previously healthy persons has been described in a small number of C. sordellii cases, most often associated with gynecologic infections in women and infections of the umbilical stump in newborns. It has also been described in post-partum females, medically induced abortions, injection drug users and trauma cases.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature, being found in the soil and feces from animals, especially ruminants. Is rarely isolated from feces of healthy people Clinical significance. This bacterium is the principal cause of trauma-associated gas gangrene and their incidence increases dramatically in times of war, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other mass casualty conditions. The clinical importance of recognizing C. septicum bacteremia and starting appropiate treatment immediately cannot be overemphasized. Patients with this condition are usually gravely ill and may have metastatic spread to distant anatomic sites, resulting in spontaneous myonecrosis. Mortality rates are very high. Clostridium septicum isolated from blood cultures may indicate cancer or other diseases of the colon.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats This species is more widely spread in nature than any other pathogenic microorganism. Human and animals frequently carry C. perfringens as part of normal endogenous flora. Clinical significance. C. perfringens is the species of Clostridium most commonly isolated from infections in humans; such infections are often polymicrobial. It is most commonly recovered from infectious derived from the colonic flora (e.g., peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess and soft tissue infections below the waist) C. perfringens can cause severe food poisoning, as well as being the cause of the rapidly developing gas gangrene and are the principal cause of trauma-associated gas gangrene and their incidence increases dramatically in times of war, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other mass casualty conditions.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature, being found in the soil and feces Clinical significance. During the War, C.novyi was isolated from wounds that were contaminated with soil. They gave rise to gas gangrene and they has been implicated in mortality among injecting illegal drug users.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Hathewaya limosa Formely: Clostridium limosum Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature Isolated from mud and human feces. Clinical significance. This bacterium is isolated from blood, peritoneal fluid, pleura fluids, and lung biopsy from pulmonary infections.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Hathewaya histolytica Formely: Clostridium histolytica Natural habitats Isolated from soil, and intestinal contents. Clinical significance. This bacterium is the principal cause of trauma-associated gas gangrene and their incidence increases dramatically in times of war, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other mass casualty conditions.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats They inhabits the microflora of intestines of humans. Around 3% of healthy adults and up to 70% of babies have a number of C. difficile bacteria living in their gut. However, the number of C. difficile bacteria is kept very low and in control by the millions of harmless bacteria in the intestines that aid in digestion. Clinical significance Is the major cause of antibiotic associated pseudomembranous colitis, is it also the most frequently identified cause of hospital acquired diarrhea.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Enterocloster clostridioforme Formely: Clostridium clostridioforme Natural habitats Ubiquitous in nature. Clinical significance They are one of the clostridia most commonly isolated from human infections. Isolated from abdominal, cervical, scrotal, pleural and other infections; septicemias, peritonitis and appendicitis.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Spores are widely distributed in soil, aquatic habitats, cheese, naturally soured milk, human feces (including healthy infants). Clinical significance Pathogenicity unknown. Isolated from blood, urine, lower respiratory tract, pleural cavity, abdomen, wounds, and abscesses.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Natural habitats Spores are widely distributed in soil and aquatic habitats Clinical significance They are the cause of the rare but frequently fatal illness known as botulism and which is characterized by weakness, trouble seeing, trouble speaking and flaccid paralysis. Botulism Occur in a few different ways. Foodborne botulism, happens when food containing the toxin is eaten. Infant botulism, happens when the bacteria develops in the testiness and releases toxin. This only happens in children less than 6 months of age as after that protective mechanisms develop. Wound botulism is found most often among those who inject street drugs It is not passed directly between people.
Taxonomy Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Paraclostridium bifermentans Formely: Bacillus bifermentans Natural habitats Ubiquitous nature, due to their ability to form resistant endospores. They are commonly found in soil, feces, sewage, and marine sediments. Clinical significance Clinical specimens including wounds, abscesses, and blood.
