Virulence Factors of Enterococcus faecalis

Jawad Kadhum T. AL-Khafaji Sameer F. Samaan* Mohammed S. AL-SaeedCollege of Medicine, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq.College of Science/ AL-Mustansyria University,Baghdad, Iraq.    

Abstract
   Two hundred seventy six samples collected from different sources. The samples were divided into three groups; first included 40 stool samples collected from healthy individuals; second group included 125 clinical samples from patients who admitted to teaching general Hilla hospital. The third group included 111 samples collected from environment of same hospital .

The morphological characterization and biochemical reactions showed 33 isolates diagnosed as Enterococcus faecalis , of which , 15 isolates from normal flora of intestine, 11 isolates from clinical cases ,and 7 isolates from hospital environment. The results of detection of virulence factors showed that E.faecalis possessed the followed factors; adhesion factors (45.4%), haemagglutination (87.8%), hemolysin (15.1%), gelatinase (9.0%) , lipase (6.0%) and bacteriocin (90.9%). The significance of these factors in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infection needs to be elucidated in further studies.
 
Future Directions
  More research is needed to clarify the pathogenesis of E.feacalis in experimental model, and additional studies on the pathogenesis to characterize the molecular and cellular between virulence factors and infection.