Enterobacteriaceae

Enterobacteriaceae is a large family of Gram-negative bacteria that includes, along with many harmless symbionts, many of the more familiar pathogens, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Yersinia pestis, Klebsiella and Shigella. Other disease-causing bacteria in this family include Proteus, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Citrobacter. This family is the only representative in the order Enterobacteriales of the class Gammaproteobacteria in the phylum Proteobacteria.

Characteristics

Enterobacteriaceae are Gram-negative bacteria, as defined by their staining pattern in the Gram stain test, which is used as a classification tool in microbiology. They are also facultatively anaerobic, which means they can grow in both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor environments.

Pathogenesis

Members of the Enterobacteriaceae can cause a wide range of infections, though for most species these are uncommon. These include urinary tract infection, sepsis, pneumonia, traveller's diarrhea, and hospital-acquired infections.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the specific bacterium involved, and the site and severity of the infection. Antibiotics are a common treatment, though some Enterobacteriaceae have developed antibiotic resistance.

See also

• Gram-negative bacteria
• Antibiotic resistance
• Sepsis
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection

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