Leuconostoc

Bacteria of the genus Leuconostoc, ubiquitous to plants and the diary industry and previously thought to be nonpathogenic, have been recently implicated in serious illness such as bacteremia and meningitis. Unique to these Gram-positive cocci is their resistance to vancomycin. This can be a helpful marker alerting the astute laboratory technician of the possibility of infection with Leuconistoc spp. Should an infection with Leuconostoc spp. be diagnosed, then therapy with high-dose penicillin should be initiated promptly.