Streptococcus shiloi, the Name for an Agent Causing Septicemic Infection in Fish, Is a Junior Synonym of Streptococcus iniae

Streptococcus shiloi strains, including the type strain, which were isolated in Israel and the United States, and Streptococcus iniae ATCC 29178^T (T = type strain) are phenotypically identical (as determined with API 20 STREP and API 50CH kits; beta-hemolytic on sheep blood agar). DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed levels of homology of 77 to 100%. Thus, S. shiloi should be considered a junior synonym of S. iniae. This bacterium is a major fish pathogen that is distributed worldwide.