title: Zero prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci among Swedish preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Enterococci are a natural part of the bacterial flora of humans, animals, and insects and are frequently found in the community. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have emerged as a growing problem, associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of VRE among healthy Swedish preschool children and ascertain whether they constitute a reservoir for the bacteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 313 individual diapers were collected from preschools in Uppsala, Sweden. Fecal samples were screened by analyzing the color change in a broth followed by polymerase chain reaction for vanA and vanB genes, which are associated with vancomycin resistance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither vanA nor vanB genes could be detected from the samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preschool children in Uppsala do not constitute a reservoir for VRE. The zero prevalence is consistent with the overall decline in VRE prevalence in Sweden during the last years.
authors.affiliation: 1 Section of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Medicine, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University , Uppsala, Sweden .
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaarme
authors.forename: Badrul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Mahmudur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013548:Sweden; D065507:Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C071437:VanA ligase, Bacteria; C079913:VanB protein, Enterococcus; D019729:Carbon-Oxygen Ligases