[Classic and molecular methodologies for the identification of Enterococcus species].
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.
Sepúlveda
Marcela
M
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.
Bello
Helia
H
Ruiz
Mery
M
Hormazábal
José
J
Domínguez
Mariana
M
González
Gerardo
G
Mella
Sergio
S
Zemelman
Raúl
R
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