We examined 105 clinical isolates of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci collected from 31 U.S. hospitals in 14 states during May 1988 to July 1992. The isolates included 82 Enterococcus faecium, 8 E. faecalis, 6 Enterococcus spp., 5 E. gallinarum, 3 E. casseliflavus, and 1 E. raffinosus. The isolates were categorized into the following four phenotypes of glycopeptide resistance on the basis of ...

We evaluated the ability of the new VITEK 2 version 4.01 software to identify and detect glycopeptide-resistant enterococci compared to that of the reference broth microdilution method and to classify them into the vanA, vanB, vanC1, and vanC2 genotypes. Moreover, the accuracy of antimicrobial susceptibility testing with agents with improved potencies against glycopeptide-resistant enterococci ...

Avoparcin was used as a feed additive in New Zealand broiler production from 1977 until June 2000. We report here on the effects of the usage and discontinuation of avoparcin on the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in broilers. Eighty-two VRE isolates were recovered from poultry fecal samples between 2000 and mid-2001. VRE isolates were only obtained from broiler farms that ...

OBJECTIVES Four Enterococcus gallinarum isolates, all highly resistant to vancomycin, were studied in order to investigate their relationship and to gain insight into the molecular events responsible for their acquired resistance. METHODS Extensive molecular analysis was performed to compare the four E. gallinarum isolates and their Tn1546-like elements. RESULTS The four strains had very si...

BACKGROUND Active screening for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) using rectal specimens is recommended to limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance within certain high-risk populations. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of Vancomycin Resistance 3 Multiplexed Tandem PCR assay (AusDiagnostics, Australia), a rapid multiplex real-time PCR assay that detects vanA and/or vanB. METHOD...

The objective of this research was to determine the presence virulence genes (asa1, gelE, cylA, ace, esp, hyl and efaA), vancomycin resistance (vanA, vanB, vanC2/C3) some antibiotics Enterococcus spp. isolates previously identified from different stages ripened white cheese production. In addition, gelatinase, β-hemolytic DNase activity, biofilm formations were examined phenotypically. study, e...

Little is known about vancomycin-resistant enterococci in China. Thirteen pulsed-field gel electrophoresis-confirmed heterogeneous VanA-type vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) isolates were obtained from five Chinese hospitals from 2001 to 2005. The isolates were typed by multilocus sequence typing into nine different sequence types (STs), including five new STs (ST18, ST25, ST78, ...

Enterococci often acquire antimicrobial resistance through horizontal gene transfer. Relatedness between enterococci with high level resistance to gentamicin and vancomycin isolated from humans, food and hospital environment in Tandil County (Argentina) was investigated. PCR amplification for species determination was carried out. Resistance to seven antimicrobials was studied; virulence genes ...

BACKGROUND The D-alanyl-D-lactate (D-Ala-D-Lac) ligase is required for synthesis of altered peptidoglycan (PG) termini in the VanA phenotype of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and the D-alanyl-D-serine (D-Ala-D-Ser) ligase is required for the VanC phenotype of VRE. Here we have compared these with the Escherichia coli D-Ala-D-Ala ligase DdlB for formation of the enzyme-bound D-alanyl ph...