title: Environmental contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci from hospital sewage in Portugal.
abstract: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were detected in samples of sewage obtained downstream of hospitals of the Porto area in Portugal, and in samples from the Douro Estuary. Clonal analysis, Tn1546 typing, and presence of putative virulence traits indicate the clinical origin of these isolates. This observation highlights the importance of hospital sewage in the VRE contamination of the environment.
authors.affiliation: REQUIMTE Laboratório de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Novais
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Coque
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: João Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peixe
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011174:Portugal; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012722:Sewage; D014640:Vancomycin