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Enterococcus faecalis – formerly classified as part of the group D Streptococcus system – is a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of humans. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Like other species in the genus Enterococcus , E. faecalis is found in healthy humans and can be used as a probiotic.
Enterococci are Gram-positive cocci that often occur in pairs or short chains, and are difficult to distinguish from streptococci on physical characteristics alone. [2] Two species are common commensal organisms in the intestines of humans: E. faecalis (90–95%) and E. faecium (5–10%).
Enterococcus faecium is a Gram-positive, gamma-hemolytic or non-hemolytic bacterium in the genus Enterococcus. [1] It can be commensal (innocuous, coexisting organism) in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals, [2] but it may also be pathogenic, causing diseases such as neonatal meningitis or endocarditis.
The classification assigns a letter code to each serotype. There are 20 described serotypes assigned the letters A to V (excluding E, I and J). [3] Bacteria of the genus Enterococcus, formerly known as group D streptococci, were classified as members of the genus Streptococcus until 1984 and are included in the original Lancefield grouping. [4]
The Enterococcaceae are a family of Gram-positive bacteria placed in the order Lactobacillales. [1] Representative genera include Enterococcus, Melissococcus, Pilibacter, Tetragenococcus, and Vagococcus. In this family are some important lactic acid bacteria which produce lactic acid as the major metabolic end product. [1]
The adjectives gram-positive and gram-negative derive from the surname of Hans Christian Gram; as eponymous adjectives, their initial letter can be either capital G or lower-case g, depending on which style guide (e.g., that of the CDC), if any, governs the document being written. [24]
Gram stain (Gram staining or Gram's method), is a method of staining used to classify bacterial species into two large groups: gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. It may also be used to diagnose a fungal infection . [ 1 ]
ESKAPE is an acronym comprising the scientific names of six highly virulent and antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens including: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. [1] The acronym is sometimes extended to ESKAPEE to include Escherichia coli. [2]