Prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus in prenatal screening cultures

Melissa B Miller1, Sonia L Allen, Mary Ellen Mangum

  • 1Clinical Microbiology-Immunology Laboratories, University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA.

Recommendations for the perinatal treatment of women colonized with Streptococcus agalactiae include vancomycin prophylaxis for those with severe penicillin allergies and antibiotic-resistant organisms. Because of potential postpartum infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and the possible spread of vancomycin resistance, the prevalence of VRE in prenatal screening cultures was determined.