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Molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infecting recipients of solid organs in the

A Mlynarczyk1, W Grzybowska, A Mrowka

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, Transplantation Institute, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Transplantation Proceedings
|October 28, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This study compared vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains using RFLP-PFGE. The analysis revealed distinct strain groups, suggesting a potential outbreak in transplant patients.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) poses a significant challenge in healthcare settings.
  • Understanding VREfm strain diversity is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains isolated from patients.
  • To investigate the epidemiological relationships between VREfm strains.

Main Methods:

  • Restriction fragment length polymorphism-pulsed field gel electrophoresis (RFLP-PFGE) of bacterial DNA was employed.
  • DNA fingerprinting techniques were used for strain typing.

Main Results:

  • VREfm infections were identified in liver, kidney, and other surgical/nephrology patients.
  • Restriction fragment length polymorphism-pulsed field gel electrophoresis (RFLP-PFGE) analysis identified two major and several minor strain clusters.
  • The vanB determinant was present in only five of the VREfm strains.

Conclusions:

  • Restriction fragment length polymorphism-pulsed field gel electrophoresis (RFLP-PFGE) is effective for investigating VRE epidemiology.
  • Identical or similar strain patterns strongly suggest a common source and potential outbreaks among transplant recipients.

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