Enterococci: new aspects of an old organism.
Enterococci are a long-known cause of bacterial endocarditis and a more recently recognized cause of nosocomial infection and superinfection. While much is known about the many antibiotic resistances of enterococci, less is known about the organism itself and how it causes disease. This article presents a brief overview of enterococci and its possible virulence factors and summarizes the authors' efforts to understand the features of this organism that may contribute to its disease potential.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA.
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Murray
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Weinstock
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial