title: Colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in intensive care unit patients in Cordoba City, Argentina.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) among intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a hospital in Córdoba, Argentina. We collected 235 rectal swab specimens from 147 ICU patients. Resistance to vancomycin was screened with the disk diffusion method, and MICs were determined with the E-test method. Vancomycin-resistant genotypes were determined by PCR. The VRE strains were isolated from 18/147 patients (12.2%). The isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium (94.4%), and Enterococcus gallinarum (5.6%). PCR showed that the E. faecium strains carried the vanA gene, and the E. gallinarum strain carried the vanC1 gene. Our study indicated that at least 12.2% of ICU patients were VRE carriers.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología, Hospital Rawson, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Littvik
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Pavan
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014505:Urban Population; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; D014640:Vancomycin; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C108395:VanC protein, Enterococcus