What are bacteroides?
Bacteroides spp are non-spore forming gram-negative bacilli that are part of the human resident flora. The Bacteroides fragilis group consists of ten species:
- B. fragilis (the most frequent isolate),
- B. distasonis,
- B.thetaiotaomicron,
- B. vulgatus,
- B. ovatus,
- B. eggerrthii,
- B. merdae,
- B. stercoris, B. uniformis, and
- B. caccae.
Some species are beneficial to humans as they crowd out potential pathogens. They form a considerable part of the normal human flora. As such many strains are opportunistic human pathogens, and can cause infections in several parts of the body including the peritoneal cavity and the female urogenital tract.
Common symptoms of Bacteroides
1. Fever
2. Abdominal Pain
References :
Solomkin JS, Mazuski JE, Bradley JS, Rodvold KA, Goldstein EJC, Baron EJ, O’Neill PJ, Chow AW, Dellinger EP, Eachempati SR, Gorbach S, Hilfiker M, May AK, Nathens AB, Sawyer RG, Bartlett JG. Diagnosis and Management of Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infection In Adults and Children: Guidelines by the Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2010;50:133-164.