[Environmental contamination during a vancomycin-resistant Enterococci outbreak at a hospital in Argentina].
BACKGROUND
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolates (VRE) have caused numerous outbreaks in intensive care units (ICUs). A contaminated hospital environment, the hands of health care workers (HCW), and carrier patients may play important roles in perpetuating the chain of transmission in these outbreaks. The aims of this study were to report the first VRE outbreak in our center and assess the role of environmental contamination and HCW hands in the spread of new cases of enterococcal infection.


METHODS
Between August and December 2003, surveillance cultures were performed with samples from all patients (n = 113) admitted to the ICU, as well as cultures of samples from the environment (n = 69) and HCW hands (n = 23).


RESULTS
Eighteen clinical samples from 8 patients and 7 environmental samples yielded Enterococcus faecium (24 strains) and E. avium (1 strain). VRE was not detected on HCW hands. All the VRE isolates belonged to a single clone and carried the vanA gene.


CONCLUSIONS
Environmental contamination provides an important reservoir for future outbreaks of VRE, perpetuating transmission of the microorganism in the hospital setting.
Zárate
Mariela Soledad
MS
Laboratorio de Bacteriología, Micología y Parasitología. Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno (CEMIC). Capital Federal. Buenos Aires. Argentina. sole_z@hotmail.com
Gales
Ana
A
Jordá-Vargas
Liliana
L
Yahni
Diego
D
Relloso
Silvia
S
Bonvehi
Pablo
P
Monteiro
Jussimara
J
Campos-Pignatari
Antonio
A
Smayevsky
Jorgelina
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000032:analysis; D002999:Clone Cells; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases