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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2002, p. 913-917, Vol. 40, No. 3
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.3.913-917.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Enterococcus faecium-Related Outbreak with Molecular Evidence of Transmission from Pigs to Humans

Hong-Zhou Lu,1,2 Xin-Hua Weng,1 Haijing Li,2 You-Kuan Yin,1 Mao-Yin Pang,1 and Yi-Wei Tang2,3*

Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, People's Republic of China,1 Departments of Medicine,2 Pathology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 372323

Received 21 September 2001/ Returned for modification 3 November 2001/ Accepted 19 December 2001

Between 24 July and 31 August 1998, thousands of domestic pigs died of hemorrhagic shock in three adjunct counties along the YangZi River in Jiangshu Province, China. From 28 July to 6 September 1998, 40 local farmers (36 males and 4 females, ages 23 to 78 years) were hospitalized with severe illness characterized by high fever, erythematous rash or petechiae, and profound lethargy after contact with sick pigs. Twelve (30%) of these patients died of respiratory failure and shock. Eleven bacterial isolates recovered from 11 blood and cerebrospinal fluid specimens collected from seven patients and two pigs were identified as Enterococcus faecium based on biochemical reactions and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Both pig and human E. faecium isolates displayed indistinguishable antibiotic susceptibility and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. These data strongly suggest the spread of an outbreak of E. faecium-related sepsis from pigs to humans.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: A3310 MCN, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-2605. Phone: (615) 322-2035. Fax: (615) 343-6160. E-mail: yiwei.tang{at}vanderbilt.edu.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2002, p. 913-917, Vol. 40, No. 3
0095-1137/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.40.3.913-917.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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