Nonpathogenic organisms are those that do not cause disease, harm or death to another organism and is usually used to describe bacteria. It describes a property of a bacterium - its ability to cause disease. Most bacteria are nonpathogenic. It can describe the presence of non-disease causing bacteria that normally reside on the surface of vertebrates and invertebrates as commensals. Some nonpathogenic microorganisms are commensals on and inside the body of animals and are called microbiota. Some of these same nonpathogenic microorganisms have the potential of causing disease, or being pathogenic if they enter the body, multiply and cause symptoms of infection. Immunocomprised individuals are especially vulnerable to bacteria that are typically nonpathogenic but because of a compromised imm