Enterococcus Faecalis Research Paper

The Shawno assisted living is struggling with an outbreak of a serious disease. There is an organism causing this systemic response and putting residents in danger. Based on the tests and observations completed on the organism I received, it is evident that it is the cause. The disease I came head to head with is known as “Enterococcus Faecalis”. Even though Enterococcus Faecalis can cause infections in body parts other than the intestine, it is considered a regular inhabitant of the intestinal tract in mammals and humans (Dr. Tina M. St. John, pg. 1). According to Susan Fraser of Medscape, “Enterococcus Faecalis has been a very important pathogen and includes 17 different species” (Fraser, pg. 1). If the bacterium infects other sites of the …show more content…
The most frequent infection caused by Enterococcus Faecalis is urinary tract infections. This usually occurs in individuals who have recently been in the hospital and received a urinary tract procedure or had a type of catheter placed. Usually, the symptoms include frequent urination, burning sensation, and pain associated with urination, and the feeling of always having to urinate (Dr. Tina M. St. John, pg. 1). If the infection worsens, it can proceed to kidney infections, and at its worse, renal failure. Enterococcus Faecalis can also cause a serious infection in the visceral layer of the heart and the heart valves. This infection is known specifically as Endocarditis. The symptoms that arise from this bacterium invading the heart usually include a fever, headache, the chills and even body aches. (Dr. Tina M. St. John, pg. 1). If the infection does not get suppressed at that point, it can lead to shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles, and the most extreme symptom of heart …show more content…
This includes infections such as peritonitis and abscesses of the abdominal region. Again, these infections usually occur in individuals hospitalized who have had surgeries relating to the abdomen or including abdominal organs (Dr. Tina M. St. John, pg. 2). Dr. Tina M. St. John states that abdominal abscesses or peritonitis symptoms may include such things as fever, pain in the abdomen, nausea that can be followed with vomiting, and a lot of Enterococcus Faecalis has a few treatments, but many of them depend on where the bacterium is stationed and what site of the body it is infecting. Wesley Glick of the Missouri S&T Biological Sciences explained that Enterococcus Faecalis is very antibiotic resistant and that susceptible drug testing is highly suggested (Glick, pg. 1). It contains many acquired immunities spread in R-plasmids in the midst of abandoned bacteria. This leads to Enterococcus Faecalis having resistance to even the strongest antibiotics and in individual cases, all of them. Before starting treatment for Enterococcus Faecalis, all catheters should be removed along with any abscess, if present, being drained first. Some types, that don’t need bacterial therapy, can usually be treated with a single antibiotic. These infections include, but are not limited to urinary tract infections, some abdominal infections and most wound infections.

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