Streptococcus suis

**Semantic type:** Bacterium

**Definition:** A species of facultatively anaerobic, Gram positive, cocci shaped bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes. This species is beta glucuronidase and arginine deaminase positive, hydrolyzes esculin, alpha hemolytic, Lancefield groups R, S, and T positive, catalase and pyrrolidonylarylamidase negative and does not grow in 6.5% NaCl. It can ferment sucrose, lactose, glucose, galactose, maltose, salicin, trehalose, and inulin but not arabinose, mannitol, melibiose, ribose, or sorbitol. S. suis is found in pigs where it can cause cervical abscesses. Contact of infected pigs by humans can result in meningitis, septicemia, endocarditis, and deafness.

**Synonyms:** - STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS