Enterococcus
Enterococcus is a
bacterium, of the phylum
Firmicutes. They are round
gram-positive cells which occur in pairs and are difficult to distinguish from
Streptococcus. Two species are common commensal organisms in the intestines of humans:
E. faecalis and
E. faecium. They are
anaerobic, not requiring
oxygen to live but can survive in the presence of oxygen. Important clinical infections caused by
Enterococcus are
urinary tract infection,
bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis, diverticulitis, wound infections and rarely
meningitis. This bug is usually sensitive to
ampicillin and
vancomycin. During the last decade, a particularly virulent strain of
Enterococcus has plagued hospitalized patients., which is resistant to both ampicillin and vancomycin.
