Isolation and taxonomic characterization of acid urease-producing bacteria.

About 16,000 isolates from animal feces and intestines were assayed for the production of acid urease, and the 700 strains selected as producers were examined as to their taxonomic properties.Of these 700 strains, 370 belonged to the genus Streptococcus, 312 to the genus Lactobacillus, 9 to the genus Escherichia, 6 to the genus Staphylococcus, 2 to the genus Morganella and 1 to the genus Bifidobacterium.The majority of the streptococci were identified as Streptococcus mitior, the remainder being Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus faecium, Streptococcus avium and Streptococcus gallinarum.The majority of the lactobacilli were considered to be Lactobacillus reuteri or Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus animalis or Lactobacillus salivarius, the remainder being Lactobacillus ruminis, Lactobacillus viridescens, Lactobacillus vaccinostercus and strains considered to be Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus crispatus or Lactobacillus gasseri.