A wide variety of pathogens are involved in opportunistic infection and can cause a similarly wide range in pathologies. A partial list of opportunistic pathogens and their associated presentations includes:
Since opportunistic infections can cause severe disease, much emphasis is placed on measures to prevent infection. Such a strategy usually includes restoration of the immune system as soon as possible, avoiding exposures to infectious agents, and using antimicrobial medications ("prophylactic medications") directed against specific infections.
The following may be avoided as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of infection:
Individuals at higher risk are often prescribed prophylactic medication to prevent an infection from occurring. A person's risk level for developing an opportunistic infection is approximated using the person's CD4 T-cell count and other indications. The table below provides information regarding the treatment management of common opportunistic infections.
Alternative agents can be used instead of the preferred agents. These alternative agents may be used due to allergies, availability, or clinical presentation. The alternative agents are listed in the table below.
Treatment depends on the type of opportunistic infection, but usually involves different antibiotics.
Justiz Vaillant AA, Qurie A (2021). "Immunodeficiency". StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 29763203. Retrieved 2021-03-09. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500027/
Mada, Pradeep Kumar; Alam, Mohammed U. (2025), "Clostridioides difficile infection", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 28613708, retrieved 2025-01-30 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431054/
"Clostridioides difficile", Wikipedia, 2025-01-15, retrieved 2025-01-30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridioides_difficile
Schroeder MR, Stephens DS (2016-09-21). "Macrolide Resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae". Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 6: 98. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2016.00098. PMC 5030221. PMID 27709102. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5030221
Achermann Y, Goldstein EJ, Coenye T, Shirtliff ME (July 2014). "Propionibacterium acnes: from commensal to opportunistic biofilm-associated implant pathogen". Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 27 (3): 419–40. doi:10.1128/CMR.00092-13. PMC 4135900. PMID 24982315. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4135900
Caballero MT, Polack FP (May 2018). "Respiratory syncytial virus is an "opportunistic" killer". Pediatric Pulmonology. 53 (5): 664–667. doi:10.1002/ppul.23963. PMC 5947624. PMID 29461021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5947624
Czepiel J, Dróżdż M, Pituch H, Kuijper EJ, Perucki W, Mielimonka A, et al. (July 2019). "Clostridium difficile infection: review". European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. 38 (7): 1211–1221. doi:10.1007/s10096-019-03539-6. PMC 6570665. PMID 30945014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6570665
Guh AY, Kutty PK (October 2018). "Clostridioides difficile Infection". Annals of Internal Medicine. 169 (7): ITC49 – ITC64. doi:10.7326/AITC201810020. PMC 6524133. PMID 30285209. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524133
Chahin A, Opal SM (March 2017). "Severe Pneumonia Caused by Legionella pneumophila: Differential Diagnosis and Therapeutic Considerations". Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 31 (1): 111–121. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2016.10.009. PMC 7135102. PMID 28159171. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7135102
Berjeaud JM, Chevalier S, Schlusselhuber M, Portier E, Loiseau C, Aucher W, et al. (2016-04-08). "Legionella pneumophila: The Paradox of a Highly Sensitive Opportunistic Waterborne Pathogen Able to Persist in the Environment". Frontiers in Microbiology. 7: 486. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00486. PMC 4824771. PMID 27092135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4824771
Falkinham JO (2018). "Mycobacterium avium complex: Adherence as a way of life". AIMS Microbiology. 4 (3): 428–438. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2018.3.428. PMC 6604937. PMID 31294225. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6604937
Pan SW, Shu CC, Feng JY, Su WJ (June 2020). "Treatment for Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease". Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan Yi Zhi. 119 (Suppl 1): S67 – S75. doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2020.05.006. PMID 32446754. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jfma.2020.05.006
Gordon SV, Parish T (April 2018). "Microbe Profile: Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Humanity's deadly microbial foe". Microbiology. 164 (4): 437–439. doi:10.1099/mic.0.000601. PMID 29465344. https://doi.org/10.1099%2Fmic.0.000601
Pang Z, Raudonis R, Glick BR, Lin TJ, Cheng Z (January–February 2019). "Antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: mechanisms and alternative therapeutic strategies". Biotechnology Advances. 37 (1): 177–192. doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.11.013. PMID 30500353. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.biotechadv.2018.11.013
Lamas A, Miranda JM, Regal P, Vázquez B, Franco CM, Cepeda A (January 2018). "A comprehensive review of non-enterica subspecies of Salmonella enterica". Microbiological Research. 206: 60–73. doi:10.1016/j.micres.2017.09.010. PMID 29146261. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Jenul C, Horswill AR (April 2019). "Regulation of Staphylococcus aureus Virulence". Microbiology Spectrum. 7 (2). doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.GPP3-0031-2018. PMC 6452892. PMID 30953424. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6452892
Kong C, Neoh HM, Nathan S (March 2016). "Targeting Staphylococcus aureus Toxins: A Potential form of Anti-Virulence Therapy". Toxins. 8 (3): 72. doi:10.3390/toxins8030072. PMC 4810217. PMID 26999200. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4810217
Schroeder MR, Stephens DS (2016-09-21). "Macrolide Resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae". Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 6: 98. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2016.00098. PMC 5030221. PMID 27709102. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5030221
Jespersen MG, Lacey JA, Tong SY, Davies MR (December 2020). "Global genomic epidemiology of Streptococcus pyogenes". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 86: 104609. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104609. PMID 33147506. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.meegid.2020.104609
Brouwer S, Barnett TC, Rivera-Hernandez T, Rohde M, Walker MJ (November 2016). "Streptococcus pyogenes adhesion and colonization". FEBS Letters. 590 (21): 3739–3757. doi:10.1002/1873-3468.12254. hdl:10033/619157. PMID 27312939. S2CID 205213711. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Latgé JP, Chamilos G (December 2019). "Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillosis in 2019". Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 33 (1): e00140–18, /cmr/33/1/CMR.00140–18.atom. doi:10.1128/CMR.00140-18. PMC 6860006. PMID 31722890. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6860006
José RJ, Periselneris JN, Brown JS (June 2020). "Opportunistic bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the lung". Medicine. 48 (6): 366–372. doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2020.03.006. PMC 7206443. PMID 32390758. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7206443
Akpan A, Morgan R (August 2002). "Oral candidiasis". Postgraduate Medical Journal. 78 (922): 455–9. doi:10.1136/pmj.78.922.455. PMC 1742467. PMID 12185216. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1742467
Erdogan A, Rao SS (April 2015). "Small intestinal fungal overgrowth". Current Gastroenterology Reports. 17 (4): 16. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0436-2. PMID 25786900. S2CID 3098136. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Mu A, Shein TT, Jayachandran P, Paul S (2017-09-14). "Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome in Patients with AIDS and Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis: A Case Series and Review of the Literature". Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. 16 (6): 540–545. doi:10.1177/2325957417729751. PMID 28911256. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2325957417729751
Kwon-Chung KJ, Fraser JA, Doering TL, Wang Z, Janbon G, Idnurm A, Bahn YS (July 2014). "Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 4 (7): a019760. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a019760. PMC 4066639. PMID 24985132. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066639
Maziarz EK, Perfect JR (March 2016). "Cryptococcosis". Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 30 (1): 179–206. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2015.10.006. PMC 5808417. PMID 26897067. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5808417
Horwath MC, Fecher RA, Deepe GS (2015-06-10). "Histoplasma capsulatum, lung infection and immunity". Future Microbiology. 10 (6): 967–75. doi:10.2217/fmb.15.25. PMC 4478585. PMID 26059620. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4478585
Mittal J, Ponce MG, Gendlina I, Nosanchuk JD (2018). "Histoplasma Capsulatum: Mechanisms for Pathogenesis". In Rodrigues ML (ed.). Fungal Physiology and Immunopathogenesis. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology. Vol. 422. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 157–191. doi:10.1007/82_2018_114. ISBN 978-3-030-30236-8. PMC 7212190. PMID 30043340. 978-3-030-30236-8
Seyedmousavi S, Bosco SM, de Hoog S, Ebel F, Elad D, Gomes RR, et al. (April 2018). "Fungal infections in animals: a patchwork of different situations". Medical Mycology. 56 (suppl_1): 165–187. doi:10.1093/mmy/myx104. PMC 6251577. PMID 29538732. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6251577
Stentiford GD, Becnel JJ, Weiss LM, Keeling PJ, Didier ES, Bjornson S, et al. (April 2016). "Microsporidia - Emergent Pathogens in the Global Food Chain". Trends in Parasitology. 32 (4): 336–348. doi:10.1016/j.pt.2015.12.004. PMC 4818719. PMID 26796229. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818719
Sokulska M, Kicia M, Wesołowska M, Hendrich AB (October 2015). "Pneumocystis jirovecii--from a commensal to pathogen: clinical and diagnostic review". Parasitology Research. 114 (10): 3577–85. doi:10.1007/s00436-015-4678-6. PMC 4562001. PMID 26281787. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562001
Gerace E, Lo Presti VD, Biondo C (December 2019). "Cryptosporidium Infection: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Differential Diagnosis". European Journal of Microbiology & Immunology. 9 (4): 119–123. doi:10.1556/1886.2019.00019. PMC 6945992. PMID 31934363. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6945992
Mendez OA, Koshy AA (July 2017). Gubbels MJ (ed.). "Toxoplasma gondii: Entry, association, and physiological influence on the central nervous system". PLOS Pathogens. 13 (7): e1006351. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1006351. PMC 5519211. PMID 28727854. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5519211
Hunter CA, Sibley LD (November 2012). "Modulation of innate immunity by Toxoplasma gondii virulence effectors". Nature Reviews. Microbiology. 10 (11): 766–78. doi:10.1038/nrmicro2858. PMC 3689224. PMID 23070557. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3689224
José RJ, Periselneris JN, Brown JS (June 2020). "Opportunistic bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the lung". Medicine. 48 (6): 366–372. doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2020.03.006. PMC 7206443. PMID 32390758. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7206443
Fonseca Brito L, Brune W, Stahl FR (August 2019). "Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Pneumonitis: Cell Tropism, Inflammation, and Immunity". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 20 (16): 3865. doi:10.3390/ijms20163865. PMC 6719013. PMID 31398860. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719013
Bohra C, Sokol L, Dalia S (2017-11-01). "Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy and Monoclonal Antibodies: A Review". Cancer Control. 24 (4): 1073274817729901. doi:10.1177/1073274817729901. PMC 5937251. PMID 28975841. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5937251
Kartau M, Sipilä JO, Auvinen E, Palomäki M, Verkkoniemi-Ahola A (2019-12-02). "Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy: Current Insights". Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease. 9: 109–121. doi:10.2147/DNND.S203405. PMC 6896915. PMID 31819703. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6896915
Radu O, Pantanowitz L (February 2013). "Kaposi sarcoma". Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. 137 (2): 289–94. doi:10.5858/arpa.2012-0101-RS. PMID 23368874. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Cesarman E, Damania B, Krown SE, Martin J, Bower M, Whitby D (January 2019). "Kaposi sarcoma". Nature Reviews. Disease Primers. 5 (1): 9. doi:10.1038/s41572-019-0060-9. PMC 6685213. PMID 30705286. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6685213
Justiz Vaillant AA, Qurie A (2021). "Immunodeficiency". StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 29763203. Retrieved 2021-03-09. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500027/
Africa CW, Nel J, Stemmet M (July 2014). "Anaerobes and bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy: virulence factors contributing to vaginal colonisation". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 11 (7): 6979–7000. doi:10.3390/ijerph110706979. PMC 4113856. PMID 25014248. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4113856
Mastromarino P, Vitali B, Mosca L (July 2013). "Bacterial vaginosis: a review on clinical trials with probiotics" (PDF). The New Microbiologica. 36 (3): 229–38. PMID 23912864. http://www.newmicrobiologica.org/PUB/allegati_pdf/2013/3/229.pdf
Mastromarino P, Vitali B, Mosca L (July 2013). "Bacterial vaginosis: a review on clinical trials with probiotics" (PDF). The New Microbiologica. 36 (3): 229–38. PMID 23912864. http://www.newmicrobiologica.org/PUB/allegati_pdf/2013/3/229.pdf
Knoester M, Lashley LE, Wessels E, Oepkes D, Kuijper EJ (April 2011). "First report of Atopobium vaginae bacteremia with fetal loss after chorionic villus sampling". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 49 (4): 1684–6. doi:10.1128/JCM.01655-10. PMC 3122803. PMID 21289141. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122803
Doitsh G, Greene WC (March 2016). "Dissecting How CD4 T Cells Are Lost During HIV Infection". Cell Host & Microbe. 19 (3): 280–91. doi:10.1016/j.chom.2016.02.012. PMC 4835240. PMID 26962940. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4835240
Fenwick C, Joo V, Jacquier P, Noto A, Banga R, Perreau M, Pantaleo G (November 2019). "T-cell exhaustion in HIV infection". Immunological Reviews. 292 (1): 149–163. doi:10.1111/imr.12823. PMC 7003858. PMID 31883174. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7003858
Bruchfeld J, Correia-Neves M, Källenius G (February 2015). "Tuberculosis and HIV Coinfection". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 5 (7): a017871. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a017871. PMC 4484961. PMID 25722472. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4484961
Tenforde MW, Shapiro AE, Rouse B, Jarvis JN, Li T, Eshun-Wilson I, Ford N, et al. (Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group) (July 2018). "Treatment for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018 (7): CD005647. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005647.pub3. PMC 6513250. PMID 30045416. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6513250
Rees CA, Keating EM, Lukolyo H, Danysh HE, Scheurer ME, Mehta PS, et al. (August 2016). "Mapping the Epidemiology of Kaposi Sarcoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review". Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 63 (8): 1325–31. doi:10.1002/pbc.26021. PMC 7340190. PMID 27082516. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7340190
Sadiq U, Shrestha U, Guzman M (2021). "Prevention Of Opportunistic Infections In HIV". StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. PMID 30020717. Retrieved 2021-03-09. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513345/
Schlossberg D (2015-04-23). Clinical Infectious Disease. Cambridge University Press. pp. 688–. ISBN 978-1-107-03891-2. 978-1-107-03891-2
Ledergerber B, Egger M, Erard V, Weber R, Hirschel B, Furrer H, et al. (December 1999). "AIDS-related opportunistic illnesses occurring after initiation of potent antiretroviral therapy: the Swiss HIV Cohort Study". JAMA. 282 (23): 2220–6. doi:10.1001/jama.282.23.2220. PMID 10605973. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Brooks JT, Kaplan JE, Holmes KK, Benson C, Pau A, Masur H (March 2009). "HIV-associated opportunistic infections--going, going, but not gone: the continued need for prevention and treatment guidelines". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 48 (5): 609–11. doi:10.1086/596756. PMID 19191648. S2CID 39742988. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Freifeld AG, Bow EJ, Sepkowitz KA, Boeckh MJ, Ito JI, Mullen CA, et al. (February 2011). "Clinical practice guideline for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer: 2010 update by the infectious diseases society of america". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 52 (4): e56-93. doi:10.1093/cid/cir073. PMID 21258094. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Smith TJ, Khatcheressian J, Lyman GH, Ozer H, Armitage JO, Balducci L, et al. (July 2006). "2006 update of recommendations for the use of white blood cell growth factors: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 24 (19): 3187–205. doi:10.1200/JCO.2006.06.4451. PMID 16682719. https://doi.org/10.1200%2FJCO.2006.06.4451
"Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV: recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America" (PDF). 26 May 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020. https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/sites/default/files/guidelines/documents/Adult_OI.pdf
Dyer, Mary; Kerr, Christine; McGowan, Joseph P.; Fine, Steven M.; Merrick, Samuel T.; Stevens, Lyn C.; Hoffmann, Christopher J.; Gonzalez, Charles J. (2021). Comprehensive Primary Care for Adults With HIV. New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines. Baltimore (MD): Johns Hopkins University. PMID 33625815. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567851/
"European AIDS Clinical Society Guidelines" (PDF). https://www.eacsociety.org/media/final2021eacsguidelinesv11.0_oct2021.pdf
"Table 2. Treatment of HIV-Associated Opportunistic Infections (Includes Recommendations for Acute Treatment and Secondary Prophylaxis/Chronic Suppressive/Maintenance Therapy) | NIH". clinicalinfo.hiv.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-20. https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/hiv-clinical-guidelines-adult-and-adolescent-opportunistic-infections/treatment-hiv-associated-full
Dyer, Mary; Kerr, Christine; McGowan, Joseph P.; Fine, Steven M.; Merrick, Samuel T.; Stevens, Lyn C.; Hoffmann, Christopher J.; Gonzalez, Charles J. (2021). Comprehensive Primary Care for Adults With HIV. New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Clinical Guidelines. Baltimore (MD): Johns Hopkins University. PMID 33625815. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567851/
"European AIDS Clinical Society Guidelines" (PDF). https://www.eacsociety.org/media/final2021eacsguidelinesv11.0_oct2021.pdf
"Table 2. Treatment of HIV-Associated Opportunistic Infections (Includes Recommendations for Acute Treatment and Secondary Prophylaxis/Chronic Suppressive/Maintenance Therapy) | NIH". clinicalinfo.hiv.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-20. https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/hiv-clinical-guidelines-adult-and-adolescent-opportunistic-infections/treatment-hiv-associated-full