Enterococcus faecium
Enterococcus faecium is a gram-positive spherical bacterium.[1] Enterococcus faecium was first discovered in 1919 and was misclassified as a different type of bacteria (Streptococci). A study in 1984 looked at its genetic material more closely and classified it as a different group of bacteria.[2]
Enterococci are commonly found in the gut. They have a high tolerance to salts present in this environment.[1] Elsewhere, they may cause infections.[3] Infections are always related to the urinary tract or the biliary/gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes infections can lead to bacteria present in the circulating blood (bacteremia).[1]
Hospitalized patients with weak immunity are at a great risk of Enterococcal infections due to prolonged use of antibiotics. Enterococci cause 10-15% of the infections transmitted in a hospital that occur in the urinary tract, intra-abdomen and in the bloodstream.[1] Among Enterococci, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are the most common causative agents of human infections.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 19., Ryan, Kenneth J. 1940. Sherris, John C., sec.. Sherris medical microbiology (2018)McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-1-259-85980-9. OCLC 1146428866.
- ↑ Zhou, Xuewei. Enterococcus faecium: from microbiological insights to practical recommendations for infection control and diagnostics. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control 9 (1) (2020-08-10). p. 130. doi:10.1186/s13756-020-00770-1.
- ↑ Wanger, Audrey. Chapter 6 - Overview of Bacteria (in en). Microbiology and Molecular Diagnosis in Pathology (2017-01-01)Elsevier. p. 75–117. ISBN 978-0-12-805351-5. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
- ↑ Gao, Wei. [https: //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369527417300760 Evolution of virulence in Enterococcus faecium, a hospital-adapted opportunistic pathogen] (in en). Host-pathogen interactions: Evolution and regulation of host pathogen interactions. Current Opinion in Microbiology 41 (2018-02-01). p. 76–82. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.030.