A study of non-motile and motile strains of Group D streptococci: biochemical tests for characterization of species

Abstract

Using resistance to tellurite as the main characteristic for differentiation, 66 strains of enterococci of animal or bird origin were named as follows: Streptococcus faecalis (13 from fowls, 2 from pigs and 5 from humans); Str. faecalis var. zymogenes (2 from fowls, 1 from cattle and 1 from a turkey); Str. faecalis var. liquefaciens (4 from fowls, 1 from cattle, 1 from humans and 1 from ~oats); and Str. faecium (13 from fowls, 13 from pigs, 3 from cattle, 2 from humans, 2 from sheep and 1 each from a turkey and a budgerigar).
Reduction of tetrazolium and fermentation of sorbitol and arabinose were of use in distinguishing Str. faecalis from Str. faecium in conjunction with resistance to tellurite but their use for further differentiation of these two species is questionable.