Bacterial vaginosis is caused by an imbalance of the naturally occurring bacteria in the vagina. The normally predominant species of ''Lactobacilli'' are markedly reduced. This is the list of organisms that are found in the vagina that are associated with

bacterial vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a disease of the vagina caused by excessive growth of bacteria. Common symptoms include increased vaginal discharge that often smells like fish. The discharge is usually white or gray in color. Burning with urination ...

, an infectious

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

of the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

caused by excessive growth of specific

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

. The census and relationships among the microbiota are altered in BV resulting in a complex bacterial milieu. Some species have been identified relatively recently. Having infections with the listed pathogens increases the risk of acquiring other

sexually transmitted infections Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...

including

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

Microbiota

*''

Actinobacteria The ''Actinomycetota'' (or ''Actinobacteria'') are a phylum of all gram-positive bacteria. They can be terrestrial or aquatic. They are of great economic importance to humans because agriculture and forests depend on their contributions to so ...

'' spp * '' Actinomyces naeslundii'' * ''

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ''Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans'' is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobe, nonmotile bacterium that is often found in association with localized aggressive periodontitis, a severe infection of the periodontium. It is also suspected to b ...

'' * ''

Anaerococcus Anaerococcus is a genus of bacteria. Its type species is ''Anaerococcus prevotii''. These bacteria are Gram-positive and strictly anaerobic. The genus Anaerococcus was proposed in 2001. Its genome was sequenced in August 2009. The genus Anaerococ ...

'' spp *''

Atopobium vaginae ''Fannyhessea vaginae'' is a species of bacteria in the family ''Atopobiaceae''. It is a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive rod-shaped or elliptical coccobacilli found as single elements or in pairs or short chains. It is typically isolated fr ...

'' * '' Bacteroides ureolyticus'' * ''

Bifidobacterium ''Bifidobacterium'' is a genus of gram-positive, nonmotile, often branched anaerobic bacteria. They are ubiquitous inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract though strains have been isolated from the vagina and mouth ('' B. dentium'') of mammal ...

'' spp * ''

Clostridiales The Eubacteriales are an order of bacteria placed within the class Clostridia. Families Eubacteriales comprises the following families: * " Betainaceae" Jones et al. 2019 * " Bianqueaceae" Liu et al. 2021 * " Borkfalkiaceae" Hildebrand, Pallen ...

'' spp * '' Collinsella aerofaciens'' * ''

Eggerthella lenta ''Eggarthella lenta'' is a Gram-positive, anaerobic species of bacteria which comprises part of the human microbiome. It has been found in the human gastrointestinal tract, female reproductive system and male prostate. Occasionally it can cause ...

'' *''

Eggerthella ''Eggerthella'' is a bacterial genus of Actinomycetota, in the family Coriobacteriaceae. Members of this genus are anaerobic, non-sporulating, non-motile, Gram-positive bacilli that grow singly, as pairs, or in short chains. They are found in t ...

'' spp * ''

Eubacterium ''Eubacterium'' is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Eubacteriaceae. These bacteria are characterised by a rigid cell wall. They may either be motile or nonmotile. If motile, they have a flagellum A flagellum (; ) is a hair ...

'' spp * ''

Fusobacterium nucleatum ''Fusobacterium nucleatum'' is a Gram negative, anaerobic oral bacterium, commensal to the human oral cavity, that plays a role in periodontal disease. This organism is commonly recovered from different monocultured microbial and mixed infection ...

'' * ''

Gardnerella vaginalis ''Gardnerella vaginalis'' is a species of Gram-variable-staining facultative anaerobic bacteria. The organisms are small (1.0–1.5 μm in diameter) non-spore-forming, nonmotile coccobacilli. Once classified as ''Haemophilus vaginalis'' ...

'' * '' Leptotrichia amnionii'' *'' Leptotrichia'' spp * ''

Megasphaera ''Megasphaera'' is a genus of Bacillota bacteria classified within the class Negativicutes. This classification has been reexamined.Yutin N, Galperin MY (2013) A genomic update on Clostridial phylogeny: Gram-negative spore formers and other mi ...

'' spp * '' Mobiluncus'' spp *''

Mycoplasma hominis ''Mycoplasma hominis'' is a species of bacteria in the genus ''Mycoplasma''. ''M.hominis'' has the ability to penetrate the interior of human cells. Along with ureaplasmas, mycoplasmas are the smallest free-living organisms known. They have no ...

'' *'' Mycoplasma parvum'' * ''

Peptococcus ''Peptococcus'' is a Gram-positive bacterium genus in the family Peptococcaceae. Species in the genus are part of the human microbiome, especially in the bacteria that form the gut flora. They are part of the flora of the mouth, upper respirator ...

'' spp *'' Peptoniphilus'' spp * ''

Peptostreptococcus anaerobius ''Peptostreptococcus anaerobius'' is a species of bacteria belonging to the ''Peptostreptococcus'' genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive, non- spore forming bacteria. The cells are small, spherical, and can occur in short chains, in pairs or individ ...

'' * ''

Peptostreptococcus ''Peptostreptococcus'' is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria. The cells are small, spherical A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is t ...

'' spp * ''

Porphyromonas gingivalis ''Porphyromonas gingivalis'' belongs to the phylum '' Bacteroidota'' and is a nonmotile, Gram-negative, rod-shaped, anaerobic, pathogenic bacterium. It forms black colonies on blood agar. It is found in the oral cavity, where it is implicate ...

'' * ''

Prevotella bivia ''Prevotella bivia'' is a species of bacteria in the genus ''Prevotella''. It is gram-negative. It is one cause of pelvic inflammatory disease. Other ''Prevotella'' spp. are members of the oral and vaginal microbiota, and are recovered fro ...

'' spp * ''

Prevotella disiens ''Prevotella'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ''Prevotella'' spp. are members of the oral, List of microbiota species of the lower reproductive tract of women, vaginal, and gut microflora, gut microbiota and are often recovered from ana ...

'' * ''

Prevotella intermedia ''Prevotella intermedia'' (formerly ''Bacteroides intermedius'') is a gram-negative, obligate anaerobic pathogenic bacterium involved in periodontal infections, including gingivitis and periodontitis, and often found in acute necrotizing ulcerat ...

'' * ''

Slackia ''Slackia'' is a genus of Actinomycetota, in the family Coriobacteriaceae The Coriobacteriaceae a family of Actinomycetota The ''Actinomycetota'' (or ''Actinobacteria'') are a phylum of all gram-positive bacteria. They can be terrestri ...

'' spp * '' Sneathia sanguinegens'' * ''

Streptococcus viridans The viridans streptococci are a large group of commensal streptococcal Gram-positive bacteria species that are α-hemolytic, producing a green coloration on blood agar plates (hence the name "viridans", from Latin "vĭrĭdis", green), although ...

'' * ''

Tannerella forsythia ''Tannerella forsythia'' is an anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterial species of the Bacteroidota phylum. It has been implicated in periodontal diseases and is a member of the red complex of periodontal pathogens. ''T. forsythia'' was previously n ...

'' * ''

Treponema denticola ''Treponema denticola'' is a Gram-negative, obligate anaerobic, motile and highly proteolytic spirochete bacterium. It is one of four species of oral spirochetes to be reliably cultured, the others being ''Treponema pectinovorum, Treponema socra ...

'' * ''

Ureaplasma urealyticum ''Ureaplasma urealyticum'' is a bacterium belonging to the genus ''Ureaplasma'' and the family Mycoplasmataceae in the order Mycoplasmatales. This family consists of the genera ''Mycoplasma'' and ''Ureaplasma''. Its type strain is T960. There are ...

'' *''

Veillonella parvula ''Veillonella parvula'' is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative, coccus-shaped bacterium in the genus ''Veillonella''. It is a normal part of the oral flora but can be associated with diseases such as periodontitis and dental caries as well as var ...

References

External links

A Metagenomic Approach to Characterization of the Vaginal Microbiome Signature in Pregnancy
Kjersti Aagaard, Kevin Riehle, Jun Ma, Nicola Segata, Toni-Ann Mistretta, Cristian Coarfa, Sabeen Raza, Sean Rosenbaum, Ignatia Van den Veyver, Aleksandar Milosavljevic, Dirk Gevers, Curtis Huttenhower, Joseph Petrosino, James Versalovic. PLoS ONE volume 7, issue 6. (2012)

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID; Salpingitis, Endometritis)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacterial Vaginosis Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs Reproductive system Gynaecology Sexual health Bacterial vaginosis Microbiomes Mycoplasma

Microbiota

Further reading

References

External links