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Prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Europe.
M A Schouten1, J A Hoogkamp-Korstanje, J F Meis
1University Medical Center St Radboud, Department of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Summary
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) prevalence in Europe remains low. Most VRE isolates carry the vanC gene, primarily colonizing hospitalized children
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Enterococci are common causes of hospital-acquired infections.
- Vancomycin resistance in enterococci (VRE) is a growing global health concern.
- Understanding VRE epidemiology in Europe is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of VRE across Europe.
- To identify the specific van gene types (vanA, vanB, vanC) present in clinical isolates.
- To analyze the distribution of VRE across different countries, patient groups, and sample sources.
Main Methods:
- Collection of 4,208 clinical enterococcal isolates from 49 laboratories in 27 European countries.
- Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed centrally.
- Detection of vanA, vanB, and vanC genes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Main Results:
- Overall prevalence of vanA and vanB VRE was low, with highest rates in the UK (2.7%) and Slovenia (2%), respectively.
- Enterococcus faecium was the most common species for vanA and vanB VRE.
- VanC VRE were more prevalent (highest in Latvia and Turkey), mainly Enterococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus casseliflavus, often from fecal samples of hospitalized children.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of vanA/vanB VRE in Europe is currently low.
- VanC VRE are more common and predominantly found in the gastrointestinal tract of hospitalized children.
- Surveillance and infection control measures remain important to monitor and manage VRE.