Transfer of Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium to the Genus Enterococcus nom. rev. as Enterococcus faecalis comb. nov. and Enterococcus faecium comb. nov.

The results of deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid-ribosomal ribonucleic acid hybridization studies demonstrated that Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium are distantly related to the non-enterococcal streptococci (Streptococcus bovis and Streptococcus equinus) of serological group D and to other streptococci. On the basis of our results and those of previous studies, we propose that S . faecalis and S . faecium be transferred to the genus Enterococcus (ex Thiercelin and Jouhaud) nom. rev. as Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) comb. nov. and Enterococcus faecium (Orla-Jensen) comb. nov., respectively. A description of the genus Enterococcus nom. rev. and emended descriptions of E. faecalis and E. faecium are given.