| Streptococcus sanguinis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Firmicutes |
| Class: | Bacilli |
| Order: | Lactobacillales |
| Family: | Streptococcaceae |
| Genus: | Streptococcus |
| Species: | S. sanguinis |
| Binomial name | |
| Streptococcus sanguinis White and Niven 1946 |
|
Streptococcus sanguinis, formerly known as Streptococcus sanguis, is a Gram-positive facultative aerobic coccus species of bacteria and a member of the Viridans Streptococcus group. S. sanguinis is a normal inhabitant of the healthy human mouth where it is particularly found in dental plaque, where it modifies the environment to make it less hospitable for other strains of Streptococcus that cause cavities, such as Streptococcus mutans. S. sanguinis may gain entrance to the bloodstream when opportunity presents (dental cleanings and surgeries) and colonize the heart valves, particularly the mitral and aortic valves, where it is the most common cause of subacute bacterial endocarditis. For this reason, oral surgeons often prescribe a short course of antibiotics to be taken a few days before to a few days after oral surgery. Once an infection has occurred, treatment is much more complicated and generally involves the administration of several weeks of penicillin and aminoglycoside antibiotics. The complete genomic sequence of S. sanguinis was determined in 2007 by laboratories at Virginia Commonwealth University.