title: Evaluation of a vanA-specific PCR assay for detection of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium during a hospital outbreak.
abstract: We investigated the use of PCR as an alternative to culture of fecal samples for detection of vanA-containing Enterococcus faecium during a recent hospital outbreak. Rectal swabs collected consecutively from 223 patients were analyzed by culture with and without enrichment broth and by vanA-specific PCR of enrichment broth samples. Fifty-five specimens were positive for vanA-containing E. faecium by at least one method. The sensitivities of the vanA-specific PCR assay and agar culture with and without enrichment broth were 94.5, 98, and 89%, respectively. All three methods were 100% specific. Final results were obtained much more rapidly by PCR (within 24 to 30 h of specimen submission) than by the culture methods (4 to 5 days). Thus, PCR is an accurate and rapid alternative to culture for detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci during hospital outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Département de Microbiologie Médicale et Infectiologie, Hôpital Notre-Dame du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roger
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Faucher
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forest
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: St-Antoine
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coutlée
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; D014640:Vancomycin; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases