Organism Properties

Staphylococcus aureus Gram-positive cocci in clusters; large, β-hemolytic colonies; catalase-positive, coagulase-positive
Streptococcus pyogenes Gram-positive cocci in long chains; small colonies with large zone of β-hemolysis; catalase-
negative, PYR-positive
S. pneumoniae Gram-positive cocci in pairs and short chains; small, α-hemolytic colonies; catalase-negative,
soluble in bile
Enterococcus spp. Gram-positive cocci in pairs and short chains; large, α-hemolytic or nonhemolytic colonies;
catalase-negative, PYR-positive
Listeria monocytogenes Small, gram-positive rods; small, weakly β-hemolytic colonies; characteristic (tumbling) motility
Nocardia spp. Weakly staining (Gram and modified acid-fast), thin, filamentous, branching rods; slow growth;
fuzzy colonies (aerial hyphae)
Rhodococcus equi Weakly staining (Gram and modified acid-fast); initially nonbranching rods, cocci in older
cultures; slow growth; pink-red colonies
Mycobacterium Strongly acid-fast rods; slow growth; nonpigmented colonies; identified using specific molecular
tuberculosis probes
Enterobacteriaceae Gram-negative rods with “bipolar” staining (more intense at ends); typically single cells; large
colonies; growth on MacConkey agar (may/may not ferment lactose); oxidase-negative
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Gram-negative rods with uniform staining; typically in pairs; large spreading, fluorescent green
colonies, usually β-hemolytic, fruity smell (grapelike); growth on MacConkey agar
(nonfermenter); oxidase-positive
Stenotrophomonas Gram-negative rods with uniform staining; typically in pairs; lavender-green color on blood agar;
maltophilia growth on MacConkey agar (nonfermenter); oxidase-negative
Acinetobacter spp. Large, gram-negative coccobacilli arranged as single cells or pairs; will retain crystal violet and
may resemble fat, gram-positive cocci in pairs; growth on blood agar and MacConkey agar (may
oxidize lactose and resemble weakly purple); oxidase-negative
Campylobacte r spp. Thin, curved, gram-negative rods arranged in pairs (S-shaped pairs); growth on highly selective
media for Campylobacter ; no growth on routine media (blood, chocolate, or MacConkey agars)
Haemophilus spp. Small, gram-negative coccobacilli arranged as single cells; growth on chocolate agar but not blood
or MacConkey agars; oxidase-positive
Brucella spp. Very small, gram-negative coccobacilli arranged as single cells; slow-growing; no growth on
MacConkey agar; biohazard
Francisella spp. Very small, gram-negative coccobacilli arranged as single cells; slow-growing; no growth on blood
or MacConkey agars; biohazard
Legionella spp. Weakly staining, thin, gram-negative rods; slow-growing; growth on specialized agar; no growth
on blood, chocolate, or MacConkey agars
Clostridium perfringens Large, rectangular rods with spores not observed; rapid growth of spreading colonies with “double
zone” of hemolysis (large zone of α-hemolysis with inner zone of β-hemolysis); strict anaerobe
Bacteroides fragilis group Weakly staining, pleomorphic (variable lengths), gram-negative rods; rapid growth stimulated by
bile in media; strict anaerobe
PYR, l -Pyrrolidonyl arylamidase.