Enterococcus is a bacterial genus that can inhabit the intestine. Some species also cause infections in other settings. The broad Enterococcus entry on GI-MAP is a group measurement, while Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium have their own result lines.
On this page
Why the report contains more than one Enterococcus entry
A genus is a larger category than a species. The E. faecalis and E. faecium results concern more specific targets. Research has found several Enterococcus species in intestinal samples, with differences between community and hospital populations. [1]
What GI-MAP can show
The genus result reports targeted DNA in stool, compared with the assay’s range. It does not mean every species in the genus has been separately measured or that the genus and species numbers can be added as independent populations. Ask the laboratory about target overlap when comparing them. [2]
Why a stool flag is not an infection diagnosis
Intestinal carriage and an infection of the urinary tract, bloodstream or another site are different clinical questions. A stool result cannot establish where a symptomatic infection is occurring or which antibiotics would work. It also cannot diagnose vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the genus name.
A low genus result does not by itself require supplementation, and a high result does not automatically justify eradication. Look for a clinical question that the finding can actually help answer, rather than treating the laboratory range as a universal target. [3]
Common questions
Why can the genus be in the commensal section and a species in the opportunist section?
Those are report-organizing categories. They do not turn the same organism into permanently “good” or “bad” bacteria; context still matters.
Can Enterococcus in stool diagnose a urinary infection?
No. Urinary symptoms need their own assessment and, when indicated, a urine sample.
Sources and review
Sources checked October 7, 2026. Manufacturer material describes the test; clinical guidance and research support the interpretation limits.
- Population biology of intestinal Enterococcus isolates, 2015
- Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory: GI-MAP interpretive guide (manufacturer specifications)
- International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice (2025)
Medical review of this article is pending. For a correction or source question, contact GI MAP Test.