肠球菌是一种广泛存在于自然界中、种类丰富的乳酸菌，可以寄居于人、动物和昆虫的消化系统中，也可以从自然生物群落中分离（如水、土壤和耕地）。屎肠球菌属于肠球菌属，菌落形态呈卵圆形，是兼性厌氧型革兰氏阳性菌，在畜牧业中广泛应用。屎肠球菌也是医院内感染的重要致病菌，可能造成败血症、尿路感染、感染性心内膜炎、脑膜炎及伤口感染等。
尽管屎肠球菌是多数感染的致病原，但适应医院环境的屎肠球菌其基因型更容易产生多重耐药性。屎肠球菌拥有坚厚的细胞壁，对包括β-内酰胺类、氟喹诺酮类和氨基糖苷类在内的多种抗菌药物具有耐受性，从而增加了感染的病死率。1980年代末，耐万古霉素的肠球菌（VRE）在欧洲首次分离。自此，VRE逐渐成为全球医疗相关感染的重要病原菌之一。耐万古霉素的屎肠球菌是VRE感染病例的主要类型。其患病率的迅速上升可能归因于该菌的高重组率以及广泛的水平基因转移能力，这些特性使得其能够轻松获得耐药表型。屎肠球菌全球系统发育特征主要表现为A和B两个不同的系统发育分支，A分支可进一步分为两个亚支：A1主要由临床株组成，A2主要是从动物中分离的菌株以及一些非临床株。B分支包括社区菌株，其最近被重新归类为Enterococcus lactis。
虽然屎肠球菌不具有高毒性，但拥有与定植、宿主侵袭和/或组织损伤相关的毒力因子，或通过其他方式绕过宿主免疫系统。在屎肠球菌中，大多数毒力因子参与与生物膜形成和定植过程中至关重要的细胞外基质蛋白相互作用。
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