Enterococcus /en″terokok′us/ pl. enterococci [Gk, enteron + kokkos, berry] , a genus of gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic bacteria of the family Streptococcaceae, formerly classified in the genus Streptococcus. E. faecalis and E. faecium are normal inhabitants of the human intestinal tract that occasionally cause urinary tract infections, infective endocarditis, bacteremia, and life-threatening nosocomial infections (vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infection). E. avium is found primarily in the feces of chickens and may be associated with appendicitis, otitis, and brain abscesses in humans.
