CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF VAGOCOCCUS-FLUVIALIS STRAINS ISOLATED FROM DOMESTIC-ANIMALS

Strains of Vagococcus fluvialis, a species of Gram-positive catalase-n egative cocci, related to the genera Enterococcus and Carnobacterium, were isolated from various lesions of pigs, from lesions and tonsils o f cattle and cats and from tonsils of a horse. Most lesion strains wer e isolated in mixed culture from animals with disease conditions unrel ated to coccal infection. Certain differences with the species descrip tion of Vagococcus fluvialis were found: only a proportion of the stra ins was motile; many strains gave positive reactions to Voges-Proskaue r, alkaline phosphatase and leucine arylamidase tests or produced acid from galactose and D-tagatose. SDS-PAGE of whole-cell protein pattern s, however, confirmed the phenotypic identification. Guidelines for id entification of Vagococcus fluvialis are given and an emended descript ion of the species is proposed.