Antibiotic resistance of enterococci isolated at a teaching hospital in Kuwait.
Enterococci isolated in a teaching hospital were studied for their resistance to different antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentrations to high-level aminoglycosides and glycopeptide antibiotics were determined by agar dilution and E-test methods respectively. Genes encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). 195 enterococci were isolated from urines (54.3%), wounds (16.4%), blood (10.2%), and miscellaneous sources (18.9%). They consisted of E. faecalis (88.7%), E. faecium (9.2%), E. casseliflavus (1.5%) and E. bovis (0.5%). None of the enterococci produced penicillinase but 3.5% of them were resistant to ampicillin. They were also resistant to high-level gentamicin (15.9%), kanamycin (22.0%), streptomycin (21.0%), tetracycline (65.1%), erythromycin (62.6%), ciprofloxacin (36.1%), chloramphenicol (26.1%), vancomycin (3.0%) and teicoplanin (2.0%). Most of the high-level aminoglycoside-resistant isolates contained genes coding the bifunctional aminoglycoside modifying enzymes AAC(6')-APH(2"), APH(3') and ANT(6') but not the ANT(4') enzyme. The results demonstrated a low prevalence of vancomycin resistance among Enterococci in this hospital.
Udo
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Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. EDET@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Al-Sweih
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John
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Chugh
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D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000668:Ampicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D006020:Glycopeptides; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D006020:Glycopeptides