Molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infecting recipients of solid organs in the transplant surgery ward in 2005 and 2006.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the investigations was to compare the vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains obtained from our patients.


METHODS
Strains were compared using restriction fragment length polymorphism-pulsed field gel electrophoresis (RFLP-PFGE) of bacterial DNA.


RESULTS
VREfm infected 26 liver recipients, 22 kidney recipients, and 9 other surgery or nephrology patients. Only five strains possessed the vanB determinant. The PFGE analysis revealed two large and several small groups of related strains.


CONCLUSIONS
The PFGE analysis enabled the investigation of VRE epidemiology among patients after transplantation. Strains with similar patterns most probably originated from one source and clearly suggested an outbreak.
Department of Medical Microbiology, Transplantation Institute, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
A
A
Mlynarczyk
W
W
Grzybowska
A
A
Mrowka
S
S
Tyski
T
T
Buczkowska
J
J
Pazik
M
M
Durlik
A
A
Kwiatkowski
L
L
Adadynski
A
A
Chmura
L
L
Paczek
G
G
Mlynarczyk
D001646:Bile / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014180:Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial