Abstract

Two hundred seventy six samples collected from different sources. The samples were divided intothree groups; first included 40 stool samples collected from healthy individuals; second group included 125 clinical samples from patients who admitted to teaching general Hilla hospital. The third group included 111 samples collected from environment of same hospital .

The morphological characterization and biochemical reactions showed 33 isolates diagnosed as Enterococcus faecalis , of which , 15 isolates from normal flora of intestine, 11 isolates from clinical cases ,and 7 isolates from hospital environment. The results of detection of virulence factors showed that E.faecalis possessed the followed factors; adhesion factors (45.4%), haemagglutination (87.8%), hemolysin (15.1%), gelatinase (9.0%) , lipase (6.0%) and bacteriocin (90.9%). The significance of these factors in the pathogenesis of enterococcal infection needs to be elucidated in further studies.