title: Epidemiological link between wastewater and human vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from wastewater (n = 593) and clinical (n = 450) samples, and the genetic linkage between the isolates was compared. Out of the total samples, 38 Enterococcus faecium (3.6%) from sewage (n = 19) and clinical (n = 19) isolates were found to be highly resistant to vancomycin. The majority of the VRE isolates from the two sources showed distinct phenotyping and genotyping patterns. At the same time, one common pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern was found among the VRE obtained from wastewater and human clinical isolates, suggestive of an epidemiological link.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Malihe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.forename: Fateh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katouli
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Möllby
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pourshafie
mesh_terms: D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D005838:Genotype; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D014876:Water Pollution
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage