Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacteria found in the digestive tract of humans and animals, existing in harmony with other microbes and the digestive tract, but can become a life-threatening pathogen. E. faecalis can be found in re-infected root canals, with very high rates compared with the initial infection in a root canal.
E. faecalis is naturally highly antibiotic-resistant, and when found in the vagina, is considered to contribute to aerobic vaginitis. E. faecalis can also cause urinary tract infections. E. faecalis is a very hardy organism that can be tricky to treat, however not impossible. E. faecalis can survive in very harsh conditions, including very alkaline pH environments, high temperatures, and salty conditions.
Aerobic vaginitis causes irritation to vaginal tissues and is different to bacterial vaginosis. E. faecalis is a facultative anaerobe, which actually means it is an aerobe that can tolerate anaerobic conditions – in science, an aerobe and a facultative anaerobe can be the same thing. This bacterium is therefore put into the aerobic vaginitis category, as it can utilise both oxygenated and non-oxygenated environments, but prefers oxygen.
E. faecalis has a negative effect on cells by altering the host immune response, competing with other cells, and forming a biofilm.
Find out more about Enterococcus faecalis.
| Condition type | Bacteria |
|---|---|
| Affected systems | Reproductive |
| Sexually Transmissible | yes |
| Genitourinary Incidence | very common |
| Age group affected |
|
Microbial information
| Anaerobe / Aerobe | Facultative anaerobe/aerobe |
|---|---|
| Gram stain | Gram-positive |
| Best tests to detect |
|
| Pathogen of |
| Commensal of (Can naturally inhabit, but not necessarily as a healthy addition) |
|
| Optimal growth pH |
|
| Conditions correlated with |
|
| Cellular adherence capacities | High |
| Found in healthy vaginas | No |
| Biofilm-forming capacities |
|
| Cellular Morphology |
|
| Microbe Motility | Non-motile |
| Colony Colour |
|
| Substances Produced | |
| Sexually Transmissible | Possibly |
What are the symptoms of Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
What causes Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
- No causes found for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection, yet.
What are the risk factors associated with Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
- No risk factors for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection, yet.
How do you diagnose Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
- No diagnoses found for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection, yet.
How do you treat Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
Treatments for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection are only for practitioners and people who purchased the book Killing BV and Killing BV for men.
Which treatments are likely to be ineffective for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
What complications are associated with Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection?
- No complications found for Enterococcus faecalis vulvovaginal infection, yet.
References
Fan A1, Yue Y, Geng N, Zhang H, Wang Y, Xue F. 2013. Aerobic vaginitis and mixed infections: comparison of clinical and laboratory findings. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2013 Feb;287(2):329-35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23015152
