Table 5: Identification of Enterococcus Species from Clinical Cultures - LabCE.com, Laboratory Continuing Education

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Table 5: Identification of Enterococcus Species from Clinical Cultures

Test	Result
Gram stain	Gram-positive cocci in singles, pairs, or chains; cells can be ovoid to coccobacilli
Colony morphology	On blood agar after 24 hours of incubation, colonies are nonhemolytic or alpha hemolytic (rare strains may be beta hemolytic), and approximately 1 to 2 mm in diameter
Catalase test	Negative or weakly positive
Presumptive identification	Growth on bile esculin agar and in 6.5% salt broth are two characteristics commonly used to identify Enterococcus species to the genus level. A positive esculin in combination with a positive PYR reaction is another approach to presumptive identification.
Species identification	E. faecalis and E. faecium are usually identified by most commercial systems. Successful identification of the other species on these systems may vary. For vancomycin-intermediate or resistant strains, two key characteristics are motility and pigment: E. casseliflavus is both motile and possesses a yellow pigment E. gallinarum is also motile but non-pigmented E. faecalis and E. faecium demonstrate neither characteristic