Epidemiological link between wastewater and human vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates.
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.
Talebi
Malihe
M
Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Rahimi
Fateh
F
Katouli
Mohammad
M
Möllby
Roland
R
Pourshafie
Mohammad R
MR
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
D012722:Sewage