Apparent increased prevalence of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus durans resulting from false identification by a semiautomated software system.
Identification of enterococci by using a semiautomated system (PASCO; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) in the AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, revealed a high proportion of Enterococcus durans, particularly among isolates highly resistant to gentamicin and streptomycin. When 14 isolates were further tested by a conventional biochemical scheme and by PCR, all were reidentified as Enterococcus faecalis. Antibiotic resistance and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns showed that unrelated strains were misidentified.
Tsakris
A
A
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece. atsakris@med.auth.gr
Woodford
N
N
Pournaras
S
S
Kaufmann
M
M
Douboyas
J
J
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012984:Software; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005839:Gentamicins; D013307:Streptomycin