TK3: BACTERIA 1 TEST KIT
Product Code 8003
Abundant in air, soil and water. Some are beneficial (e.g. those living in intestine and breaking down food) and some are harmless to humans.
Bacteria that are harmful are known as pathogens.
Three main categories: cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped) and spirochaetes or spirilla (spiral-shaped).
Bacteria can grow in an inert medium. Susceptible to antibiotics.
Commensal means the bacteria normally lives in or on the body and is considered medically to be harmless Nosocomial infection is an infection contracted in hospital.
Code
Bacteria
Medically Recognised
Possible Symptoms & Effects
Comments
BCT 1
Acinetobacter
Respiratory symptoms, nosocomial infections.
Ubiquitous in environment.
BCT 2
Actinomyces
Liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain
Actinomycosis. Actinomyces Israelii commensal of human mouth.
BCT 3
Bacilli Gram
Positive
and Negative
BCT 4
Bacillus
Megaterium
Meningitis
Present in the throats of about 10% of the population
BCT 5
Bacillus
Subtilus
Produces sticky yellow patches on bread.
BCT 6
Bordetella
Pertussis
Whooping cough.
BCT 7
Borrelia
Burgdorferi
Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis).
Vector is a tick which is dependent on wild rodents and deer.
BCT 8
Brucella
Abortus
Influenza- like symptoms, fever, arthritis, headaches, irritability, insomnia and confusion, septicemia.
From cattle; unpasteurised dairy products.
BCT 9
Campylobacter
Food poisoning, diarrhoea
On increase. Types C. jejuni and c. foetus; found in raw meat, untreated water and unpasteurised dairy products.
BCT 10
Clostridium
Botulinum
Botulism, muscle paralysis, vomiting, tiredness, food poisoning.
Caused by the neurotoxin of CB.
BCT 11
Clostridium
Tetani
Muscle rigidity followed by spasmodic muscle contraction with pallor and sweating
in soil
BCT 12
Clostridium
Welchii
Cellulitis.
BCT 13
Cocci Gram
Positive
and Negative
BCT 14
Corynebacterium
Diphtheriae
Diphtheria tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, croup
BCT 15
Escherichia Coli
E Coli
Meningitis in babies, diarrhoea, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection.
Commensal of human intestine; popularly known as E. Coli; found in raw and undercooked meat, raw vegetables and unpasteurised milk.
BCT 16
Gardnerella
Vaginalis
Occasionally slightly smelly, non-itchy discharge.
Commensal of female vagina
BCT 17
Haemophilus
Influenzae
Conjunctivitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis in children.
Commensal in human upper respiratory tract. 6 types; type b causes meningitis
BCT 18
Helicobacter
Pylori
Gastritis, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, possibly gastric cancer.
BCT 19
Legionella
Pneumophila
Respiratory symptoms, pus in lungs, lung abscess, Legionnaires’ disease, hepatitis.
Nosocomial infection; a widespread naturally occurring aquatic organism, transmitted by airborne droplets often from air-conditioning units.
BCT 20
Leptospiria
High fever, headache, myalgia, conjunctivitis, Weil’s disease
Transmitted by rodents and infected water
2 sub-species
BCT 21
Listeria
Monocytogenes
Meningitis in babies
Unpasteurised dairy products and inadequately cooked meat, ubiquitous in soil.
BCT 22
Mycobacterium
Bovis
Pneumonia, tuberculosis.
BCT 23
Mycobacterium
Leprae
Leprosy
Endemic in Africa, India, SE Asia, Central and South America.
BCT 24
Mycobacterium
Tuberculosis
TB, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, tuberculosis, chronic hepatitis, urinary tract infection.
BCT 25
Mycoplasma
Pneumoniae
Croup, otitis media, pus in lungs, childhood pneumonia, acute hepatitis
Croup, otitis media, pus in lungs, childhood pneumonia, acute hepatitis
BCT 26
Neisseria
Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, pain on passing urine, discharge, pain in abdomen.
BCT 27
Neisseria
Meningitidis/
Meningococcus
Conjunctivitis, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, pneumonia, meningitis, meningitis in children.
In western countries group B is predominant organism followed by C. Group A in parts of Africa, Middle East and India.
BCT 28
Pseudomonas
Aeruginosa
Urinary tract infection, respiratory symptoms, otitis media, lung abscess, meningitis in babies, wound infection.
Commensal of human intestinal flora. Commonly associated with carotid arteries.
BCT 29
Salmonella
Food poisoning, diarrhoea
On increase; found in raw meat, poultry, eggs, raw unwashed vegetables, unpasteurised dairy products.
BCT 30
Salmonella
Paratyphi
Typhoid.
3 types (A, B & C).
BCT 31
Salmonella
Typhi
Typhoid fever, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, food poisoning.
BCT 32
Shigella
Diarrhoea, bacillary dysentery.
4 sub-groups: S. dysenteriae (developing countries), S. flexneri (developing countries), S. boydii, S. sonnei (endemic in developed countries).
BCT 33
Staphylococcus
Aureus
Respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis, styes, difficulty in breathing, otitis media, pus in lungs, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis, meningitis in elderly, brain abscess, cellulitis, food poisoning, liver abscess, fever, abdominal pain, urinary tract infection.
Common skin commensal; some strains are now becoming antibiotic resistant.
BCT 34
Staphylococcus
Epidermidis
Breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis, urinary tract infection
BCT 35
Streptococcus
Lactis
Found commonly as a contaminant in milk and dairy products; a common cause of souring and coagulation of milk; some strains produce nisin, a powerful antibiotic that inhibits growth of many other gram-positive organisms
BCT 36
Streptococcus
Agalaciae
Neonatal infection, septicaemia, meningitis, nosocomial infection.
Commensal in intestine and female genital tract.
BCT 37
Streptococcus
Mutans
Dental caries.
BCT 38
Streptococcus
Pneumoniae
Conjunctivitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pus in lungs, pneumonia, childhood pneumonia, meningitis, meningitis in elderly and children, brain abscess; associated with increased risk of fatal heart complications including heart failure and heart attacks
Commensal of human upper respiratory tract.
BCT 39
Streptococcus
Pyogenes
Sore throat, tonsillitis/ pharyngitis, difficulty in breathing, sinusitis, otitis media, pus in lungs, lung
BCT 40
Streptococcus
Viridans
Breathlessness, chest pain, endocarditis.
BCT 41
Vibrio
Cholera
Cholera
Spread from livestock; extremely rare in developed countries; but a possible agent of biological warfare.
BCT 42
Yersinia
Pestis
Pneumonia, plague.
BCT 43
Anthrax/
Bacillus
Anthracis
Affects the skin and lungs
Spread from livestock; extremely rare in developed countries; but a possible agent of biological warfare.
BCT 44
MRSA/
Methicillin-
Resistant
Staphylococcus
Aureus
A version of staph aureus that is resistant to antibiotics; can cause death particularly in weakened people.
Most cases occur in hospital patients
BCT 45
Bacillus
Cereus
Food poisoning.
Often associated with fried rice that has been cooked and then held at warm temperatures for several hours.
BCT 46
Clostridium
Perfringens
Pneumonia
Widely distributed in the environment and frequently occurs in the intestines of humans and many domestic and feral animals.
BCT 47
Enterobacter
Aerogenes
Found in human digestive tract.
BCT 48
Klebsiella
Pneumoniae
Urinary tract infections.
Pneumonia and urinary tract infections; tends to affect people with underlying diseases, particularly in hospital.
BCT 49
Micrococcus
Luteus
Inhabits mammalian skin; opportunistic infection.
BCT 50
Proteus
Vulgaris
Urinary tract infections.
BCT 51
Salmonella
Enteritidis
Fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhoea.
From contaminated eggs.
BCT 52
Streptococcus
Mitis
Can cause endocarditis
Part of the normal mammal flora; found in mouth, throat, and nasopharynx
BCT 53
Borrelia
Vincent
Causes severe ulcerating gingivitis (trench mouth).
Typically found in those with poor oral hygiene but can also occur as a result of stress, cigarette smoking and poor nutrition;
also can be found in those with serious illnesses
BCT 54
Clostridium
Difficile/
C Difficile
Diarrhoea, colitis, peritonitis.
Often a problem after normal gut flora is eradicated by the use of antibiotics;
infection often occurs in hospital and in nursing homes;
some adults have low numbers of the bacteria without any symptoms;
common in the intestine of babies and infants, but does not cause disease because its toxins do not damage their immature intestinal cells
BCT 55
Mycobacterium
Paratuberculosis
Found in the intestinal tract of some people with Crohn’s disease (about 7.5% of those studied);
been liked to rheumatoid arthritis; found in less than 1% of healthy individuals (Food Safety Authority of Ireland).
In the USA, 40% of large dairy herds are infected with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis; can survive pasteurisation.
BCT 56
Neisseria
Catarrhalis/
Moraxella
Catarrhalis/
Micrococcus
Catarrhalis/
Branhamella
Catarrhalis
A common cause of otitis media and sinusitis and an occasional cause of laryngitis;
causes bronchitis or pneumonia in children and adults with underlying chronic lung disease.
Commensal in nasopharyx.