title: Control of an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in an oncology ward in South Africa: effective use of limited resources.
abstract: An outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) occurred in an adult oncology ward of a large teaching hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. The outbreak strain was identified as an Enterococcus faecium carrying the vanA resistance genotype. Macro-restriction analysis showed that the majority of strains were clonally related. Modified infection control interventions were implemented and control of the outbreak was achieved. Although the epidemiology of VRE is well documented in Europe, North America and Australia, this problem has only recently emerged in South Africa. The epidemiology of the outbreak appears similar to that described for outbreaks elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Nierop
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duse
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Von Gottberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kassel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Perovic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smego
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance