The Isolation of Symbiotic Streptococci

Abstract

SATE L LI T I s M is a phenomenon usually associated with Haemophilus, but there have been reports of occasional strains of other organisms, including streptococci, that exhibit this property. My interest in this subject was aroused by the isolation in 1972 of a streptococcus showing satellitism to Escherichia coli. This strain was cultivated at necropsy from the trachea of a stillborn baby. Since then, three further isolations have been made from human material and three additional strains obtained through the kindness of Dr K. B. Rogers.

Nutritionally variant streptococci

“…Under optimal nutritional conditions (i.e., in close proximity to growth of a helper strain or in an appropriately supplemented broth medium), gram-positive cocci or coccobacilli in chains are observed. Colonies growing farther away from the helper strain or on media with less than optimal concentrations of required nutrients contain cells that are pleomorphic, with globular and filamentous forms (16,28,39). NVS growing in blood cultures have been described as gram variable or even gram negative, with morphologies reminiscent of those of fungal cells (20,39).…”

NVS and Staphylococci in the Oral Cavity – A Cause of Infective Endocarditis

“…Most clinical strains of NVS reported were isolated as agents of subacute IE and accounted for more than 4% of streptococcal IE (Bouvet, 1995). NVS are also constituents of the normal flora of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract (George, 1974, Ruoff, 1991, Ohara-Nemoto et al, 1997, thus the infection route for NVS causing IE is likely peroral.…”

Total knee arthroplasty infection due to Abiotrophia defectiva

“…Abiotrophia defectiva is part of the normal human flora [1][2][3] and is a resident of the oral cavity [1,4], and the genitourinary and intestinal mucosae [4,5].…”