title: Linezolid-resistant enterococci in Greece: epidemiological characteristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  14 linezolid-resistant enterococci (6 Enterococcus faecium and 8 Enterococcus faecalis) collected during 2009 from patients hospitalized in intensive care units of different Greek hospitals were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mechanism of resistance to linezolid was determined by sequencing analysis of the domain V of 23S rDNA, while the clonal relatedness was defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All linezolid-resistant enterococci carried the G2576T mutation. E. faecium belonged to the international epidemic clones ST16, ST17, ST203 and ST65, while all E. faecalis strains belonged to the ST28 clone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spread of common linezolid-resistant enterococcal clones in intensive care units located in different areas of Greece emphasizes the importance of application of infection control measures to prevent the spread of such strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
authors.forename: Anthi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damani
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chini
authors.forename: Loukia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zerva
authors.forename: Fevronia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kolonitsiou
authors.forename: Evangelos D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Anastassiou
authors.forename: Efthimia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petinaki
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D000069349:Linezolid; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009154:Mutation; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D000069349:Linezolid