In the silkworm rearing zone of Gifu prefecture, especially in the zone in which the silkworm larvae were infected with flacherie, enterococcus was isolated from samples derived from following materials 1) diseased silkworm and dead silkworm in cocoon 2) silkworm faeces 3) dust and rubbish from rearing tools and rearing places 4) excrements from livestock and poultry. Then the survey for actual condition of contamination and the taxonomical study of these isolated strain were carried out.
1. The selective isolation of enterococci in culture medium containing 0.02% sodium azid (EF culture medium) has proved consistently successful.
2. Since 107 strains of enterococcus were detected from 151 samples, it has been proved that the distribution of enterococcus covers very wide range.
3. After sorting out the isolated enterococcus, Str. faecalis group and Str. faecium group were identified. And number of strains belonging to the latter group was found more abundantly than that of the strains belonging to the former. The strains belonging to Str. faecium were detected in abundance in all samples.