Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2015
Microbiologists traditionally have relied on biochemical and serologic tests to identify only group A, group B, and group D streptococci isolated from patients with serious infections. Until recently there has been little interest in the further classification of other streptococci isolated from clinical specimens.
In 1956, Guthof repeatedly isolated a particular streptococcus from dental abscesses and named the organism Streptococcus milleri in honor of the microbiologist, W.D. Miller. In 1976, Parker and Ball associated this microorganism with other pyogenic infections and later described the characteristics of 346 strains. The Streptococcus milleri group is now recognized as both virulent and invasive and some believe it is responsible for more suppurative infections than any other group of streptococci. Physicians need to consider the unique ability of these bacteria to form abscesses in a wide range of tissue. Microbiology laboratories, therefore, need to develop schemes to identify this important group of streptococci.