Identification of Aerococcus urinae in urine samples

To evaluate procedures for the identification of Aerococcus urinae, we examined 24 alpha-hemolytic non-enterococcal bacterial isolates from 4373 urine samples. Published procedures were compared with 16s rRNA sequencing and biochemical profiling (BBL-Crystal-GP). 16s rRNA sequencing and BBL-Crystal-GP identified the same 13 isolates as A. urinae. Published tests failed to distinguish the 13 A. urinae isolates from eight non-A. urinae isolates; several tests exhibited no discrimination. Ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim susceptibility and growth at 45degreesC improved discrimination. For urinary isolates, standard procedures for identification of A. urinae are redundant and insufficiently discriminatory, and may need revision. BBL-Crystal-GP is an accurate alternative.