title: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolates isolated in Rajavithi Hospital between 1999 and 2009.
abstract: From 1999 to 2009, a total of 10,470 clinical enterococcal strains from patients in Rajavithi Hospital were isolated. Of these, 201 (1.9%) vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) including 199 (99.0%) Enterococcus faecium and 2 (1.00%) Enterococcus faecalis were found. The incidence of VRE was 1.8% in 1999, 3.3% in 2000, 5.1% in 2001, 1.0% in 2002, 0.0% in 2003 and 2004, 1.1% in 2005, 4.7% in 2006, 1.9% in 2007, 2.2% in 2008 and 0.9% in 2009. Seventy-one VRE isolates were classified to VanA phenotype (69 VanA E. faecium and 2 VanA E. faecalis) and 130 were classified to VanB phenotype (VanB E. faecium). The rate of inpatient departments (IPD)-associated VRE (199 (99.0%) VRE isolates) was significantly greater than the incidence of outpatient departments (OPD)-VRE (2 (1.0%) VRE isolates). VRE were found in medical (33.7%), ICUs (15.6%) and surgical (15.1%) wards. VRE were mostly found in urine, 64.2%, following in pus, blood, genital and sputum specimens, 21.9%, 9.0%, 3.5% and 1.4%, respectively. VRE, especially vancomycin resistant E. faecium, were multidrug-resistant (resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and gentamicin). All strains of VRE were fully susceptible to linezolid.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Section, Department of Pathology, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. daomicro@gmail.com
authors.forename: Prakaithip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thongkoom
authors.forename: Suwattana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanjanahareutai
authors.forename: Suriwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chantrakooptungool
authors.forename: Somsak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahule
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D013785:Thailand; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance