Vancomycin resistance, esp, and strain relatedness: a 1-year study of enterococcal bacteremia.
The prevalence of esp, a gene associated with infection-derived and outbreak strains, in enterococcal blood isolates from 2002 was determined. Fifty-five of 137 (40.1%) Enterococcus faecalis isolates, 30 of 58 (51.7%) E. faecium isolates, 1 of 1 E. raffinosus isolate, 0 of 4 E. gallinarum isolates, and 0 of 1 E. casseliflavus isolate were positive. esp wasn't associated with vancomycin resistance (VR) or clinical service. VR E. faecium isolates were less genetically diverse than vancomycin-susceptible strains. A large cluster of VR isolates, belonging to esp-positive E. faecium, was revealed. These data support the hypothesis that esp and VR may contribute to dissemination of particular clones.
Harrington
S M
SM
Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287-7093, USA.
Ross
T L
TL
Gebo
K A
KA
Merz
W G
WG
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C116707:enterococcal surface protein, esp