Microbiology Mnemonics from Kaye

• What is the mnemonic for remembering the bacilli that are gram negative, except for a few?

  "MCCBELLANGAW"
• What are the bacilli that are gram negative, except for a few?

  • Mycobacterium
  • Clostridium
  • Corynebacterium
  • Bacillus
  • Erysipelothrix
  • Listeria
  • Lactobacillus
  • Actinomyces
  • Nocardia
  • Gardnerella
  • Arcanobacterium
  • Weisella
• What is the mnemonic for remembering the cocci that are gram negative, except for a few?

  "NVM"

  • Neisseria
  • Veillonella
  • Moraxella
• What is the mnemonic for catalase positive bacteria?

  "LBC"

  • Listeria
  • Bacillus
  • Corynebacterium
• What is the mnemonic for citrate positive and oxidase positive bacteria?


  "CPOP"
• What are the citrate positive and oxidase positive bacteria?


  • Micrococcus
  • Neisseria
  • Haemophilus
  • Moraxella
  • Campylobacter
  • Helicobacter
  • Aeromonas
  • Plesiomonas
  • Vibrio
  • Pseudomonas
  • Burkholderia
• What special characteristic does Clostridium have?


  It is an anaerobe/aerotolerant sporeformer
• What special characteristic does Actinomyces have?


  It has branching and is fungi-like
• What special characteristic does Nocardia have?


  It has branching, is fungi-like, and partially acid fast
• What are the gram positive and catalase positive bacteria?


  Staphylococcus and Micrococcus
• What is the mnemonic for catalase negative bacteria?


  "WELGA"
• What are the catalase negative bacteria?

  • Weisella
  • Erysipelothrixthusiopathiae
  • Lactobacillus
  • Gardnerella vaginalis
  • Archanobacterium
• What are the characteristics of citrate positive, oxidase negative, nitrate reducers, glucose fermenters, and facultative anaerobes?


  They include Staphylococcus and all enterobacteriaceae except Plesiomonas
• What is the mnemonic for indole positive bacteria?


  "Hi! May PEKPECK Po Va?"
• What are the indole positive bacteria?


  • H. influenzae
  • Morganella morgani
  • Providencia
  • E. coli
  • K. oxytoca
  • P. vulgaris
  • E. tarda
  • C. koseri
  • K. ornithinolytica
  • Plesiomonas
  • Vibrio
• What is the mnemonic for VP positive bacteria?


  "Pa KEESH"
• What are the VP positive bacteria?


  • P. aglomerans
  • Klebsiella
  • Enterobacter
  • Edwardsiella
  • Serratia
  • Hafnia
• What is the mnemonic for citrate positive bacteria?


  "Pro Sa CHEEKS"
• What are the citrate positive bacteria?


  • Providencia
  • S. arizonae
  • Citrobacter
  • Hafnia
  • Enterobacter
  • Enteriditis
  • Klebsiella
  • Serratia
• What is the mnemonic for motility positive bacteria?

  "EPECC"
• What are the motility positive bacteria?

  • E. coli
  • P. vulgaris
  • E. tarda
  • C. freundii
  • C. koseri
• What is the mnemonic for H2S positive bacteria?


  "SPACEd"
• What are the H2S positive bacteria?


  • Salmonella
  • Proteus mirabilis
  • Arizonae
  • Citrobacter
  • Edwardsiella
• What is the mnemonic for late lactose fermenters?


  "Cit Ser Yer Haf Sa Shi is late"
• What are the late lactose fermenters?

  • Citrobacter
  • Serratia
  • Yersinia enterocolitica
  • Hafnia
  • Salmonella arizonae
  • Shigella sonnei
• What is the mnemonic for rapid lactose fermenters?

  "EKE"
• What are the rapid lactose fermenters?

  • Escherichia
  • Klebsiella
  • Enterobacter
• What is the mnemonic for non-lactose fermenters?

  "SSPPMEE"
• What are the non-lactose fermenters?

  • Shigella
  • Salmonella
• What is the mnemonic for capnophilic bacteria?


  "HACEK"
• What are the capnophilic bacteria?


  • Proteus
  • Providencia
  • Haemophilus
  • Aggretinobacter
  • Citrobacter
  • Morganella
  • Edwardsiella
  • Enterobacter
  • Klebsiella
  • Erwinia
• What are the conditions associated with swimming and infections?

  • Swimmer's ear: P. aeruginosa
  • Swimmer's itch: Schistosoma
  • Swimming pool granuloma: M. marinum
  • Salt water: Vibrio
  • Fresh water: Aeromonas
  • Shower head: Legionella
• What are the congenital infections represented by the mnemonic "TORCHES"?


  • Toxoplasma gondii
  • Rubella
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Herpes
  • Syphilis
• What is the mnemonic for bacteria that grow at 42°C?


  "CAP"
• What are the bacteria that grow at 42°C?


  • Campylobacter jejunii
  • Acinetobacter baumanni
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• What is the mnemonic for bacteria that grow at 65°C?


  "Legionella"
• What is the mnemonic for bacteria that grow at < 10°C?


  "LY"
• What are the bacteria that grow at < 10°C?


  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Yersinia enterocolitica
• What is the mnemonic for bacteria that grow at pH 3?


  "Lactobacillus acidophilus"
• What is the mnemonic for bacteria that grow at pH 8-10?

  "Vibrio"