Strains of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium can alter their van genotypes during an outbreak.
Two isolates of Enterococcus faecium with VanA glycopeptide resistance were isolated during a hospital outbreak of E. faecium with plasmid-mediated VanB resistance. Both were found to be identical to the VanB outbreak strain by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The genotype of this strain changed from vanB to vanA through an intermediate isolate that contained both the vanA and vanB gene clusters on distinct plasmids.
Woodford
N
N
Laboratory of Hospital Infection, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, United Kingdom. nwoodfor@phls.co.uk
Chadwick
P R
PR
Morrison
D
D
Cookson
B D
BD
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D005810:Multigene Family; D010957:Plasmids; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; D017334:Teicoplanin; D014640:Vancomycin; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases