Enterococcus faecalis
CZ: enteroky
EN: enterococi
Occurrence:
Water and Beverages
Category:
Bacteria
Foodborne Disease:
endocarditis, as well as bladder, prostate, and epididymal infections; nervous system infections are less common
Description:
Enterococcus faecalis – formerly classified as part of the Group D Streptococcus system – is a Gram-positive commensal bacterium inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other mammals. It is among the main constituents of some probiotic food supplements.
A commensal organism like other species in the genus Enterococcus, E.faecalis can cause life-threatening infections in humans, especially in the nosocomial (hospital) environment, where the naturally high levels of antibiotic resistance found in E. faecalis contribute to its pathogenicity. E. faecalis has been frequently found in root-canal treated teeth in prevalence values ranging from 30% to 90% of the cases. Root canal-treated teeth are about nine times more likely to harbor E. faecalis than cases of primary infections.
E. faecalis is a non-motile microorganism and facultatively anaerobic; it ferments glucose without gas production, and does not produce a catalase reaction with hydrogen peroxide.
Pictures:
Source: Enterococcus fecalis