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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2112-2116, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Isolation and Characterization of Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci from Hospitalized Patients over a 30-Month Period

R. R. S. Nelson,1 K. F. McGregor,2 A. R. Brown,3 S. G. B. Amyes,3 and H.-K. Young2,*

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Western Infirmary, Glasgow,1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee,2 and Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh,3 United Kingdom

Received 8 July 1999/Returned for modification 10 November 1999/Accepted 4 January 2000

In February 1996, a Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee-style screening program was commenced to isolate and subsequently characterize glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) from patients at a hospital trust in Glasgow, Scotland. Over the next 30 months, GRE were isolated from 154 patients. GRE were isolated from patients in traditionally high-risk areas such as the renal unit and intensive care unit and also in areas considered to be lower risk, including medical wards and associated long-stay geriatric hospitals. The majority (90%) of isolates were Enterococcus faecium vanB. The remaining isolates consisted of seven E. faecalis (vanA), three E. gallinarum (vanC), and a further six E. faecium (five vanA, one both vanA and vanB) isolates. Analysis of SmaI-digested DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that 34 of 40 (85%) VanB E. faecium isolates were identical or closely related, while 11 of 13 (85%) VanA GRE were distinct. High-level aminoglycoside resistance was seen in less than 8% of isolates. VanB E. faecium isolates were almost uniformly resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. In this study, GRE have been isolated over a prolonged period from a broad range of patients. Glycopeptide resistance within the study hospital trust appeared to be mainly due to the clonal dissemination of a single strain of E. faecium VanB.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-1382-344270. Fax: 44-1382-344275. E-mail: h.k.young{at}dundee.ac.uk.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, June 2000, p. 2112-2116, Vol. 38, No. 6
0095-1137/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Brown, D. F. J., Walpole, E. (2003). Evaluation of selective and enrichment media for isolation of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci from faecal specimens. J Antimicrob Chemother 51: 289-296 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Udo, E. E., Al-Sweih, N., Phillips, O. A., Chugh, T. D. (2003). Species prevalence and antibacterial resistance of enterococci isolated in Kuwait hospitals. J Med Microbiol 52: 163-168 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • McGregor, K. F., Nolan, C., Young, H.-K., Palepou, M.-F. I., Tysall, L., Woodford, N. (2001). Prevalence of the vanB2 Gene Cluster in VanB Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and Its Association with a Tn5382-Like Element. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 367-368 [Full Text]  
  • McGregor, K. F., Young, H.-K. (2000). Identification and Characterization of vanB2 Glycopeptide Resistance Elements in Enterococci Isolated in Scotland. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44: 2341-2348 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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