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Fecal colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Australia.
A A Padiglione1, E A Grabsch, D Olden
1Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Fecal vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization is rare in healthy Australian volunteers, with only 0.2% testing positive. The identified VRE strains were a rare vanB Enterococcus faecium subtype not commonly found in local hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) pose a significant healthcare challenge.
- Understanding VRE colonization in the general population is crucial for infection control.
- Previous data on VRE colonization rates in healthy Australian individuals is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of fecal VRE colonization in a healthy Australian volunteer cohort.
- To characterize the VRE strains identified, including their vancomycin resistance genes and genetic relatedness.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 1,085 healthy volunteers from Australia.
- Fecal specimens were collected and screened for VRE using standard microbiological culture techniques.
- VRE isolates were identified to species level and genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
Main Results:
- VRE was detected in 2 out of 1,085 (0.2%) fecal specimens.
- Both VRE isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium harboring the vanB resistance gene.
- PFGE analysis revealed that the two isolates were genetically identical, representing a rare subtype in Melbourne hospitals.
Conclusions:
- Fecal VRE colonization is uncommon in the healthy Australian population.
- The presence of a rare VRE subtype warrants further investigation into potential transmission routes.
- These findings contribute to the surveillance of VRE in the community setting.