title: First confirmed case of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium with vanA phenotype from Brazil: isolation from a meningitis case in São Paulo.
abstract: The importance of enterococci as a nosocomial etiologic agent is well documented; however, enterococci are also capable of causing a variety of community-acquired infections. Vancomycin resistance in a clinical Enterococcus isolate was first reported in 1986, and since then vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been reported world-wide. This report describes a case of E. faecium with the VanA phenotype, isolated from meningitis in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Two E. faecium strains were isolated. One strain showed VanA phenotype, and the molecular characterization of the VanA gene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The other strain was susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin. The authors would like to call the attention of the scientific community to this first identification of a VRE case in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Seção de Bacteriologia, Adolfe Lutz Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valdetaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lovgren
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Tyrrel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bokermann
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brandileone
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; D014640:Vancomycin; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases