Table 1.

Bacteria commonly found on the surfaces of the pharynx

Staphylococcus epidermidis	++	Streptococcus pyogenes*	+	Mycoplasmas	+
Staphylococcus aureus*	+	Neisseria sp.	++	Mycobacteria	+/-
Streptococcus mitis	+	Klebsiella pneumoniae	+/-	Lactobacillus sp.	+
Streptococcus salivarius	++	Neisseria meningitidis*	++	Hemophilus influenzae	+
Streptococcus mutans *	+	Corynebacteria	+	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	+/-
Enterococcus faecalis*	+/-	Actinomycetes	+	Proteus	+
Streptococcus pneumoniae	+	Spirochetes	+	Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli)*	+/-

++ = nearly 100% + = common +/- = rare * = potential pathogen.

Asterisks indicate members of the normal flora that may be considered major pathogens of humans.