Production of a Bacteriocin-Like Inhibitor by Enterococcus faecalis strain 62-6 Antagonistic to the Growth of Vaginal Lactobacillus spp.
Abstract
NORMAL VAGINAL MICROFLORA
A healthy female generally harbors 107-8 colony forming units (cfu) per ml of vaginal fluid,
of which four genera of Gram-positive bacteria dominate:
• Lactobacillus spp.
• Streptococcus spp.
• Corynebacterium spp.
• Staphylococcus spp. (Figure 1)
Lactobacilli are usually the most numerous genus and their presence is often used as an
indicator of a healthy vaginal environment.
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal tract infection seen in women of
reproductive age in the US. BV is a polymicrobial syndrome where microorganisms are
present in concentrations elevated to 1010-11 cfu. The normally dominant lactobacilli are
replaced by:
• Gardnerella vaginalis
• obligate anaerobic bacteria
• genital mycoplasmas