Bacteroides fragilis group

Background

• A grouping of clinically-relevant anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli
• Includes members of the genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Phoccaeicola
• Species of clinical important include:
  • Bacteroides
    • Bacteroides fragilis
    • Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron
    • Bacteroides ovatus
    • Bacteroides vulgatus
    • Bacteroides uniformis
    • Parabacteroides distasonis
    • Bacteroides eggerthi
  • Parabacteroides
    • Parabacteroides gordonii
    • Parabacteroides distasonis
    • Parabacteroides merdae
  • Phocaeicola
    • Phocaeicola vulgatus

Management

• Compared to other anaerobes, they are more likely to be resistant to beta lactam antibiotics (generally on the order of 0 to 20% depending on species)

Further Reading

• Time for Some Group Therapy: Update on Identification, Antimicrobial Resistance, Taxonomy, and Clinical Significance of the Bacteroides fragilis Group. J Clin Microbiol. 2022;60(9). doi: 10.1128/jcm.02361-20