Surveillance and Characterization of Vancomycin-Resistant and Vancomycin-Variable Enterococci in a Hospital Setting

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Genomics

Background:

• Enterococci, including E. faecalis and E. faecium, cause severe hospital infections.
• Rising VRE and VVE pose significant challenges due to antibiotic resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess VRE and VVE colonization prevalence in hospitalized patients.
• To investigate the genetic diversity and transmission of VRE/VVE strains.

Main Methods:

• Point prevalence survey of 160 hospitalized patients.
• Rectal swab analysis using molecular assays and culture.
• Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and cgMLST for genetic diversity.

Main Results:

• 33.7% of samples tested positive for vanA/vanB genes.
• VRE (74.5%) and VVE (25.5%) identified, primarily E. faecium.
• Seven E. faecium clusters identified, with ST80 most prevalent; transmission observed.

Conclusions:

• VRE and VVE strains exhibit significant virulence and resistance.
• VVE require careful monitoring due to potential underdetection.
• Effective infection control and molecular surveillance are crucial for prevention.