Enterococci: New aspects of an old organism

Enterococci are a long-known cause of bacterial endocarditis and a more rec ently recognized cause of nosocomial infection and superinfection. While mu ch is known about the many antibiotic resistances of enterococci, less is k nown about the organism itself and how it causes disease. This article pres ents a brief overview of enterococci and its possible virulence factors and summarizes the authors' efforts to understand the features of this organis m that may contribute to its disease potential.