Increasing prevalence of high-level gentamicin resistance among Enterococci isolated in Greece.
High-level gentamicin-resistant enterococci (HLGRE) (MIC >512 microg/ml) were frequently recovered in the AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, during a 15-month period (67/158, 42.4%). PCR testing showed that high-level gentamicin resistance was attributable to the presence of the aac(6')-aph(2") gene, while the recently described genes aph (2")-Ic and aph(2")-Id were not detected. High-level gentamicin resistance could be transferred with varying frequency from 41 of 57 Enterococcus faecalis and 5 of 10 Enterococcus faecium isolates. All transconjugants acquired high-level resistance to streptomycin. HLGRE cause therapeutic problems in our region, since none of the clinically available aminoglycosides can be used in severe infections.
Tsakris
A
A
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR 54 006 Thessaloniki, Greece. atsakris@med.auth.gr
Pournaras
S
S
Maniatis
A N
AN
Douboyas
J
J
Antoniadis
A
A
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000502:physiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006115:Greece; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005839:Gentamicins; C425933:APH(2'')-Ic protein, Enterococcus faecalis; C112789:APH(2'')-Id protein, Enterococcus; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); D013307:Streptomycin