Enterococcus avium infection

Enterococci are important human pathogens and frequent commensals of the human gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract. Many Enterococcus species, including E. avium, rarely cause infection, Very few cases of E. avium bacteremia have been reported, and although we report nine patients with proven E. avium isolation, the question remains whether E. avium was the cause or just a marker of severe illness.