title: Characteristics of different Streptococcus suis ecovars and description of a simplified identification method.
abstract: Streptococcus suis strains associated with different animal hosts or located in different body regions constitute special ecovars of S. suis. A group of CO2-dependent strains which showed several unusual traits was found in the genital tract of swine, and mannitol- and sorbitol-fermenting strains were isolated from sheep, cattle and horses. S. suis was found to be biochemically more heterogenous than originally described. A detailed description is given of additional characteristics of the species as well as of characters which should be modified in the species description. A simple scheme which uses the amylase and the Voges-Proskauer (acetoin) reactions for the identification of S. suis is proposed. All S. suis strains tested produced a characteristic amylase reaction on Mueller-Hinton plates or on Columbia Agar Base enriched with starch.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Devriese
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ceyssens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hommez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kilpper-Bälz
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Schleifer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D006461:Hemolysis; D006736:Horses; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012756:Sheep; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial