title: Laboratory contamination of specimens with quality control strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Ontario.
abstract: Cross-contamination with laboratory control strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis was documented in 15 clinical specimens from nine clinical microbiology laboratories in Ontario, Canada. Laboratories should be alert to the possibility of contamination of specimens with vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the laboratory environment. Molecular typing of strains may assist in elucidating the source of such contamination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Toronto Medical Laboratories and Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGeer
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Willey
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D009864:Ontario; D011786:Quality Control; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial