NONFERMENTERS
Acinetobacter species: A. baumannii can be linked to many hospital acquired infections including skin and
wound infections, pneumonia, and meningitis. A. lwoffi, in particular, is responsible for most cases of
meningitis caused by Acinetobacter.
Flavobacterium: cause infection in premature infants and immunocompromised individuals. The species
most often recovered from humans is F. meningosepticum, a penicillin resistant bacterium that can cause
neonatal meningitis
PSEUDOMONAS: These bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics and they are capable of surviving in
conditions that few other organisms can tolerate. These pathogens colonize the lungs of cystic fibrosis
patients, increasing the mortality rate of individuals with the disease. Infection can occur at many sites and
can lead to urinary tract infections, sepsis, pneumonia, pharyngitis, and a lot of other problems.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa; pathogenicity involves several toxins and chemicals which the bacterium
secretes upon infection. The lipopolysaccharide layer helps the cell adhere to host tissues and prevents
leukocytes from ingesting and lysing the organism. Lipases and exotoxins then procede to
destroy host cell tissue which then leads to the complications associated with infection. Burkholderia
(Pseudomonas) cepacia is an opportunistic pathogen of cystic fibrosis patients. Stenotrophomonas
maltophila (formerly known as Xanthomonas maltophila) is very similar to the Pseudomonads. S. maltophila
also harbors significant resistance to many antibiotics considered effective for treating Pseudomonas
infections