Variant esp gene as a marker of a distinct genetic lineage of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium spreading in hospitals.
In the USA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) is endemic in hospitals, despite lack of carriage among healthy individuals. In Europe, however, hospital outbreaks are rare, but VREF carriage among healthy individuals and livestock is common. We used amplified fragment-length polymorphism analysis to genotype 120 VREF isolates associated with hospital outbreaks and 45 non-epidemic isolates from the USA, Europe, and Australia. We also looked for the esp virulence gene in these isolates and in 98 VREF from animals. A specific E. faecium subpopulation genetically distinct from non-epidemic VREF isolates was found to be the cause of the hospital epidemics in all three continents. This subpopulation contained a variant of the esp gene that was absent in all non-epidemic and animal isolates. Identification of the variant esp gene will be important in guiding infection-control strategies, and the Esp protein could be a new target for antibacterial therapy.
Willems
R J
RJ
Homan
W
W
Top
J
J
van Santen-Verheuvel
M
M
Tribe
D
D
Manzioros
X
X
Gaillard
C
C
Vandenbroucke-Grauls
C M
CM
Mascini
E M
EM
van Kregten
E
E
van Embden
J D
JD
Bonten
M J
MJ
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C116707:enterococcal surface protein, esp; D014640:Vancomycin