title: Species prevalence and antibacterial resistance of enterococci isolated in Kuwait hospitals.
abstract: This study investigated the species prevalence and antibacterial resistance among enterococci isolated in Kuwait hospitals. They consisted of 415 isolates of Enterococcus faecalis (85.3 %), Enterococcus faecium (7.7 %), Enterococcus casseliflavus (4.0 %), Enterococcus avium (1.2 %), Enterococcus durans (1.0 %), Enterococcus gallinarium (0.5 %) and Enterococcus bovis (0.2 %) isolated from urine (36.6 %), blood (10.4 %), wound swabs (11.0 %), stool samples (12.0 %), high vaginal swabs (9.0 %), endocervical swabs (3.0 %) and miscellaneous sources (18.0 %). All of them were susceptible to linezolid. Fifty-two (12.5 %) isolates were ampicillin resistant but none of them produced beta-lactamase. They were resistant to erythromycin (63.3 %), tetracycline (60.5 %), ciprofloxacin (40.0 %), chloramphenicol (28.0 %), vancomycin (2.6 %), and teicoplanin (2.6 %). Fourteen, 19 and 20 % of them expressed high-level resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin, respectively. All of the vancomycin-resistant strains carried the vanA phenotype and genotype. There was no evidence of clonal spread of the vancomycin-resistant isolates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine1 and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy2, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Edet E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Udo
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine1 and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy2, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Noura
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Sweih
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine1 and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy2, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Oludotun A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine1 and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy2, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Tulsi D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Chugh
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D000668:Ampicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, 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; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069349:Linezolid; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D001618:beta-Lactamases; D000069349:Linezolid