enterococci belong to the Enterococcaceae family which belongs to the Lactobacillales
it is a large genus of lactic acid Gram positive cocci bacteria that often occur as diplococci or in short chains and can be difficult to distinguish from streptococcus / streptococcal infections
they survive very harsh environments including 60degC for 30minutes and resist most detergents and alcohol and can survive dessication
some were classified as group D Streptococcus until 1984
appears to have evolved 425mya to 500mya
often used as the best marker of water contamination by sewage - eg. at beaches
Enterococcus faecalis
Enterococcus faecalis formerly known as Streptococcus faecalis
found in faeces of most healthy people
may cause invasive infections when they possess virulence factors:
chronic prostatitis - enterococci are able to form biofilm in the prostate gland, making their eradication difficult
recently evidence suggests patients with invasive infections have relatively high rates of occult colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) suggesting colonoscopy may be indicated especially if no source of infection is found
antibiotic resistance is increasingly problematic:
vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) is a major problem in hospitals