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Enterococcus
Enterococcus
are
bacteria
, belonging among the
Firmicutes
. They are round
gram-positive
cells which occur in pairs and are difficult to distinguish from
Streptococcus
. Two species are common
commensal[?]
organisms in the intestines of humans:
E. faecalis
and
E. faecium
. They are
anaerobic
, not requiring
oxygen
to live but can survive in the presence of oxygen. Important clinical infections caused by
Enterococcus
are
urinary tract infection
,
bacteremia[?]
,
bacterial endocarditis[?]
,
diverticulitis[?]
,
wound infections[?]
and rarely
meningitis
. This bug is usually sensitive to
ampicillin
and
vancomycin
. During the last decade, a particularly virulent strain of
Enterococcus
has plagued hospitalized patients., which is resistant to both ampicillin and vancomycin.
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