title: Epidemiology and molecular analysis of intestinal colonization by vancomycin-resistant enterococci in greek hospitals.
abstract: From 1,246 specimens collected from 13 Greek hospitals, 266 vancomycin-resistant enterococci strains were isolated from 255 patients (20.5%). The VanA phenotype was present in 82 (30.8%) strains, the VanB phenotype in 17 (6.4%) strains, the VanC1 phenotype in 152 (57.1%) strains, and the VanC2/C3 phenotypes in 15 (5.6%) strains. When only VanA and VanB phenotypes were considered, the overall prevalence was 7.5%. Eighty-six isolates exhibiting the VanA or VanB phenotype were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and 46 PFGE groups were found.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Heraklion-1352/71110, Crete, Greece. gikas@med.uoc.gr
authors.forename: Achilleas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gikas
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christidou
authors.forename: Efstathia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scoulica
authors.forename: Paulos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nikolaidis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoutelis
authors.forename: Stamatina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levidiotou
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kartali
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maltezos
authors.forename: Simeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metalidis
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kioumis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haliotis
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dima
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roumbelaki
authors.forename: Nikoleta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.forename: Evangelos I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Kritsotakis
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tselentis
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; D014640:Vancomycin; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C108395:VanC protein, Enterococcus