Establishment of a typing system for group D streptococci

• Published in: Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Mikrobiologie und Hygiene. Series A, Medical microbiology, infectious diseases, virology, parasitology Vol. 267; no. 3; p. 322
• Main Authors: Kühnen, E, Richter, F, Richter, K, Andries, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.01.1988
• Subjects: Bacteriocins - biosynthesis; Bacteriophage Typing; Cross Infection - microbiology; Enterococcus faecalis - classification; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Intestines - microbiology; Species Specificity; Streptococcal Infections - microbiology; Streptococcus - classification
• ISSN: 0176-6724
• DOI: 10.1016/S0176-6724(88)80048-8

Group D streptococci (n = 971, 4037 samples, 139 patients) were isolated from two intensive care units. Differentiation and typing revealed 6 species, 25 phage types, and 85 enterococcinotypes. Distribution of species showed strong differences especially concerning Enterococcus faecium which was rarely isolated from extraintestinal sites (5.9%). Phage typing was species specific and discriminated Enterococcus faecalis (n = 703 typable isolates, 19 phage types) and the other group D streptococci (n = 63 typable isolates, 6 phage types). Based on the production of enterococcines (15 indicator strains used) the isolates could be classified into 6 groups, one of which was further subdivided into 3 subgroups. Enterococcus faecalis ssp. liquefaciens (n = 618), phage type V6b (n = 596), and enterococcine group IVc (n = 568) were most common. The combined use of markers resulted in 187 combinations, which demonstrated the valuable properties of the system.