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A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans

Abigail Bartlett1, Daniel Padfield1, Luke Lear1

  • 1European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK.

Microbiology (Reading, England)
|February 7, 2023
PubMed

Insights

A comprehensive list of 1513 human bacterial pathogens, including established and putative infections, was compiled. This resource aids microbiologists in identifying and tracking emerging infectious bacterial agents.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Bacteriology

Background:

  • Vast diversity of bacteria can cause human infections.
  • No current, publicly available catalog of human bacterial pathogens exists.
  • Understanding bacterial pathogenicity is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compile an up-to-date, comprehensive list of human bacterial pathogens.
  • To categorize pathogens based on established and putative infection evidence.
  • To provide a foundational resource for microbiological research and public health.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted an extensive literature search using a pragmatic definition of pathogenicity.
  • Identified and cataloged bacterial species known to infect humans prior to 2021.
  • Classified pathogens into 'established' (≥3 cases) and 'putative' (<3 cases) categories.

Main Results:

  • Identified 1513 bacterial pathogens infecting humans pre-2021.
  • 73% of pathogens were classified as established, and 27% as putative.
  • Pathogen species span 10 phyla and 24 classes across bacterial phylogeny.
  • New human pathogens are being discovered at an accelerating rate.

Conclusions:

  • The compiled list represents a significant resource for microbiologists and infectious disease researchers.
  • The findings highlight the continuous emergence of novel bacterial pathogens.
  • The data can be expanded into a dynamic database for ongoing surveillance and study.
Keywords:
bacteriadiscoveryhuman pathogensphylogenetic diversityspecies diversity

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