title: [Classic and molecular methodologies for the identification of Enterococcus species].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enterococcus is a bacterial genus with low virulence. However, in the last years, the importance of some enterococcus species as nosocomial pathogens has increased, specially due to their resistance to some antimicrobial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify enterococcus strains using classical biochemical techniques and genomic amplification with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and five enterococcus strains, isolated between 1996 and 1999, from different clinical specimens in hospitals and other centers of the VIIIth Region of Chile, were studied. The isolates were identified, to the species level, according to the scheme proposed by Carvalho et al. Identification of some strains was confirmed by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty nine percent of isolates were identified as E foecalis, 10.2% as E foecium and 3.3% as other species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCR is a fast and promising technique, useful in the identification of Enterococcus species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Concepción y Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
authors.forename: Helia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Mery
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hormazábal
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zemelman
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction