The colonization of Streptococcus faecium in human intestinal tract after oral administration

The colonizing ability of Streptococcus faecium strain SF 68 at different levels of the gastrointestinal tract was assessed in ten patients. They were orally treated with a preparation containing the bacteria in lyophilized form for three days. During an abdominal surgical operation a sample of bacterial content of jejunum, ileum and colon was taken and cultured. The Streptococcus faecium was detected in all treated patients in a quite high concentration compared to the counts of both aerobic and anaerobic germs. These data confirms the rapid growth of SF 68 after oral administration in the gastrointestinal human tract.