Outbreak of infections in a Greek university hospital involving a single clone of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus faecalis.
Among 145 Enterococcus faecalis isolates recovered during a 15-month period (April 1997-June 1998) in AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, 94 (65%) exhibited high-level resistance to gentamicin or streptomycin and 61 (42%) to both aminoglycosides; 73% of the high-level aminoglycoside-resistant E. faecalis isolates belonged to a single clone carrying the gene aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia. These findings differ from those of other regions, where high-level aminoglycoside-resistance genes are dispersed into genetically unrelated strains.
Pournaras
S
S
Department of Microbiology, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Tsakris
A
A
Kaufmann
M E
ME
Douboyas
J
J
Antoniadis
A
A
D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans
D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial