They’re part of the normal intestinal flora of humans. They’ve gained notoriety because many strains are resistant to multiple antibiotics. The medically important species are E. faecalis and E. faecium. Because they react with Group D antisera, they were originally classified as Group D streptococci. They’re now known to be distinct from streptococci.
They appear as gram-positive cocci in pairs, tetrads, and small chains. On blood agar, they’re alpha-hemolytic or non-hemolytic.
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They can cause:
Gram stain and culture show the typical findings described above. Key laboratory features include:
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