Enterococci: new aspects of an old organism

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