Comparison of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates and glycopeptide resistance genes of human and animal origins.

ABSTRACT: One hundred thirty-two glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium (GREF) isolates from different hospitals and pig and poultry farms in Belgium were compared on the basis of (i) their antibiotic susceptibilities, (ii) their SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns, and (iii) the organization of their Tn1546 or related elements in order to detect possible phenotypic and genotypic relationships among both groups of isolates. Human and animal vanA-positive GREF isolates were found to have similar susceptibility patterns; they remained susceptible to gentamicin and were, in general, susceptible to ampicillin. PFGE demonstrated a very high degree of genomic heterogeneity in both groups of isolates. However, indistinguishable isolates were found within different farms or hospitals,

SUBMITTER: Descheemaeker PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC89409 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature