biostudies-literatureUbeda CNIAID NIH HHSNCI NIH HHS965-73https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3584866biostudies-literatureUnknown81(3)Bacteria causing infections in hospitalized patients are increasingly antibiotic resistant. Classical infection control practices are only partially effective at preventing spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hospitals. Because the density of intestinal colonization by the highly antibiotic-resistant bacterium vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) can exceed 10(9) organisms per gram of feces, even optimally implemented hygiene protocols often fail. Decreasing the density of intestinal colonization, therefore, represents an important approach to limit VRE transmission. We demonstrate that reintroduction of a diverse intestinal microbiota to densely VRE-colonized mice eliminates VRE from the intestinal tract. While oxygen-tolerant members of the microbiota are ineffective at eliInfection and immunityIntestinal microbiota containing Barnesiella species cures vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization.PMC3584866P30 CA008748P01 CA023766R01-AI95706R37 AI039031R01 AI095706R01-AI42135P01-CA23766K23 AI095398R01 AI042135No DEquinda MTaur YPamer EGDjukovic ALipuma LXavier JBLing LJenq RRBucci VUbeda Cvan den Brink MRGobourne AToussaint NCCaballero SfalseIntestinal microbiota containing Barnesiella species cures vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization.Bacteria causing infections in hospitalized patients are increasingly antibiotic resistant. Classical infection control practices are only partially effective at preventing spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hospitals. Because the density of intestinal colonization by the highly antibiotic-resistant bacterium vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) can exceed 10(9) organisms per gram of feces, even optimally implemented hygiene protocols often fail. Decreasing the density of intestinal colonization, therefore, represents an important approach to limit VRE transmission. We demonstrate that reintroduction of a diverse intestinal microbiota to densely VRE-colonized mice eliminates VRE from the intestinal tract. While oxygen-tolerant members of the microbiota are ineffective at eli2013-01-01T00:00:00Z2013 Mar2026-05-05T09:07:19.661Z2026-04-07T21:37:49.722ZS-EPMC35848662331955210.1128/iai.01197-1210.1128/IAI.01197-12