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Group Q Streptococci I. Ecology, Serology, Physiology, and Relationship to Established Enterococci

^a Microbiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, and Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14851

ABSTRACT

The group Q streptococci possess unique serological and physiological characteristics which differentiate them from established enterococci. The group Q antigen was not demonstrable in all strains; however, all possessed the group D antigen. All group Q strains were physiologically similar regardless of whether or not they possessed the group Q antigen. These strains differed from the established enterococcal species, as they neither hydrolyzed arginine nor initiated growth in 1.0% methylene blue-milk. They also differed radically in the fermentation of various carbohydrates, especially the polyhydric sugar alcohols. The results indicate that the group Q streptococci constitute a unique taxonomic entity; the species designation Streptococcus avium sp. n. is suggested, owing to their characteristic occurrence in chicken fecal specimens.

¹ Present address: Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Technological Laboratory, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

² Present address: Department of Bacteriology, The University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 53706.

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