Enterococcus faecalis and/or enterococcus faecium antigen

A method of preventing an Enterococcal infection in an animal, comprising administering to the animal an antigen in an amount sufficient to induce the production of antibodies that specifically bind to the antigen, wherein the antigen comprises at least one unit having the following general formula:

• wherein:
• R1 are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of H, OH, OCH3, OAc, OCnHm, OFo, OAcyl, SH, SCH3, SCnHm, SFo, SAc, SAcyl, NH2, NHCH3, NHCnHm, NHFo, NHAc, NHAcyl, PO2(OR2)2, F, Cl, Br and I,
• Fo is formyl, R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, CnHm, CnHm-1NHR3 and CnHm-1N(CH3)3,
• R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Fo, Ac and acyl,
• each X is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of O, S, CH2, NH and POOR4,
• R4 is H, CnHm, CnHm-1NHR3 and CnHm-1N(CH3)3,
• each Y is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of O, S, CH2 and HPO4,
• CA is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of C1-C6-acyl radicals, in particular hydroxyacyl radicals, preferably lactyl, H, OH, OCH3, OAc, OCnHm, OFo, OAcyl, SH, SCH3, SCnHm, SFo, SAc, SAcyl, NH2, NHCH3, NHCnHm, NHFo, NHAc, NHAcyl, PO2OR2, F, Cl, Br and I,
• Fo is formyl, R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OCnHm, OCnHm-1NHR3 and OCnHm-1N(CH3)3,
• R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Fo, Ac and acyl,
• m=2n+1, and
• n is selected from the set of natural numbers from 1 to 10.

A method of preventing an Enterococcal infection in an animal, comprising administering to the animal an antibody or a fragment thereof that specifically binds an antigen, wherein the antigen comprises at least one unit having the following general formula:

• wherein:
• R1 are independently of one another selected from the group consisting of H, OH, OCH3, OAc, OCrHm, OFo, OAcyl, SH, SCH3, SCnHm, SFo, SAC, SAcyl, NH2, NHCH3, NHCnHm, NHFo, NHAc, NHAcyl, PO2(OR2)2, F, Cl, Br and I,
• Fo is formyl, R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, CnHm, CnHm-1NHR3 and CnHm-1N(CH3)3,
• R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Fo, Ac and acyl,
• each X is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of O, S, CH2, NH and POOR4,
• R4 is H, CnHm, CmHm-1NHR3 and CnHm-1N(CH3)3,
• each Y is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of O, S, CH2 and HPO4,
• CA is independently of one another selected from the group consisting of C1-C6-acyl radicals, in particular hydroxyacyl radicals, preferably lactyl, H, OH, OCH3, OAc, OCnHm, OFo, OAcyl, SH, SCH3, SCnHm, SFo, SAC, SAcyl, NH2, NHCH3, NHCnHm, NHFo, NHAc, NHAcyl, PO2OR2, F, Cl, Br and I,
• Fo is formyl, R2 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, OCnHm, OCnHm-1NHR3 and OCnHm-1N(CH3)3, R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Fo, Ac and acyl,
• m=2n+1, and
• n is selected from the set of natural numbers from 1 to 10.