Skip to main content
PMC home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1974 Mar;5(3):228–233. doi: 10.1128/aac.5.3.228

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Streptococcus bovis and Other Group D Streptococci Causing Endocarditis

Clyde Thornsberry 1, C N Baker 1, R R Facklam 1
PMCID: PMC428953  PMID: 4840433

Abstract

Seventy-four strains of Streptococcus bovis and 35 strains of enterococci (Streptococcus faecalis and its varieties, Streptococcus faecium and Streptococcus durans), most of which were isolated from patients with endocarditis, were tested for their susceptibility to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, cephalothin, vancomycin, methicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin, streptomycin, and gentamicin. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were determined by a microtiter broth dilution technique. All of these organisms are group D streptococci, but the S. bovis strains are not enterococci. On the basis of both MIC and MBC, the S. bovis strains were much more susceptibile in general to antibiotics then were the enterococcal strains. For the S. bovis strains, the lowest MICs were obtained with penicillin, ampicillin, and erythromycin, and the lowest MBCs with penicillin and ampicillin. Although these antibiotics were also the most active against the enterococci, the MICs and MBCs were much higher than obtained with the S. bovis strains. Gentamicin was the most active aminoglycoside. On the basis of in vitro susceptibility results, the S. bovis strains resemble the viridans streptococci rather than enterococci.

Full text

PDF
231

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Colman G. The application of computers to the classification of streptococci. J Gen Microbiol. 1968 Jan;50(1):149–158. doi: 10.1099/00221287-50-1-149. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DEIBEL R. H. THE GROUP D STREPTOCOCCI. Bacteriol Rev. 1964 Sep;28:330–366. doi: 10.1128/br.28.3.330-366.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Facklam R. R. Recognition of group D streptococcal species of human origin by biochemical and physiological tests. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Jun;23(6):1131–1139. doi: 10.1128/am.23.6.1131-1139.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Jones D., Sackin M. J., Sneath P. H. A numerical taxonomic study of streptococci of serological group D. J Gen Microbiol. 1972 Oct;72(3):439–450. doi: 10.1099/00221287-72-3-439. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kislak J. W. The treatment of endocarditis. Am Heart J. 1970 May;79(5):713–716. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(70)90291-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Raj H., Colwell R. R. Taxonomy of enterococci by computer analysis. Can J Microbiol. 1966 Apr;12(2):353–362. doi: 10.1139/m66-048. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Sherman J. M. THE STREPTOCOCCI. Bacteriol Rev. 1937 Dec;1(1):3–97. doi: 10.1128/br.1.1.3-97.1937. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Spencer W. H., 3rd, Thornsberry C., Moody M. D., Wenger N. K. Rheumatic fever chemoprophylaxis and penicillin-resistant gingival organisms. Ann Intern Med. 1970 Nov;73(5):683–687. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-73-5-683. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Toala P., McDonald A., Wilcox C., Finland M. Susceptibility of group D streptococcus (enterococcus) to 21 antibiotics in vitro, with special reference to species differences. Am J Med Sci. 1969 Dec;258(6):416–430. doi: 10.1097/00000441-196912000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Washington J. A., 2nd, Hermans P. E., Martin W. J. In vitro susceptibility of staphylococci and streptococci and influence of agar media on minimum inhibitory concentration. Mayo Clin Proc. 1970 Jul;45(7):527–535. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Weinstein A. J., Moellering R. C., Jr Penicillin and gentamicin therapy for enterococcal infections. JAMA. 1973 Feb 26;223(9):1030–1032. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Weinstein L. Infective endocarditis: past, present and future. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1972 Jan;6(2):161–174. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wilkowske C. J., Facklam R. R., Washington J. A., 2nd, Geraci J. E. Antibiotics synergism: enhanced susceptibility of group D streptococci to certain antibiotic combinations. Antimicrob Agents Chemother (Bethesda) 1970;10:195–200. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES