THE CHARACTERIZATION OF FECAL STREPTOCOCCI

Summary Fecal streptococci were isolated from human and animal feces and frozen meat and poultry pies. Organisms from these sources could be classified in three major groups: Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus faecium, and Streptococcus bovis. Attempts to relate the presence of such organisms to their fecal source using the heat-tellurite test were unsuccessful. A positive correlation was noted between the ability of these organisms to reduce tetrazolium and tellurite and their fecal source.