Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a tertiary teaching hospital in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
In 2007, an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) occurred at Taipei Medical University, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanism of glycopeptide resistance and to investigate the genetic relatedness among isolates of VRE.


METHODS
Between May and October 2007, bacterial isolates from 16 patients identified as colonized or infected with VRE were collected. Polymerase chain reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to determine resistant genes and molecular typing.


RESULTS
All 16 isolates of VRE presented with the VanA phenotype with the vanA gene except for 1 isolate of Enterococcus faecalis, which had the VanB phenotype with the vanA gene. PFGE analysis revealed a major clone containing 12 isolates, and 4 other distinct clones containing 1 to 2 isolates each. Five patients had VRE colonized in their gastrointestinal tract, the genotype of which was the same as the clinical isolates. Fourteen isolates (87.5%) had the esp gene.


CONCLUSIONS
An outbreak of VRE was caused by the simultaneous existence of monoclonal and polyclonal spread. Rigorous infection control, active surveillance, and decreasing pressure of antibiotic use are important for controlling the emergence of VRE.
Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yu-Chia
YC
Hsieh
Tsong-Yih
TY
Ou
Sing-On
SO
Teng
Wuan-Chan
WC
Lee
Yi-Chun
YC
Lin
Jann-Tay
JT
Wang
Shan-Chwen
SC
Chang
Wen-Sen
WS
Lee
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013624:Taiwan; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; C116707:enterococcal surface protein, esp; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases