Selective media for detecting gastrointestinal carriage of vancomycin-resistant enterococci

Nosocomial infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) has become a significant problem. Effective institution of infection control measures depends on rapid identification of carriage of the organism, especially in asymptomatic individuals. We compared two selective media for use in screening for the presence of VRE and found that an agar medium containing bile esculin azide supplemented with 8 mu g/ml of vancomycin was a useful and cost-effective means for primary screening for asymptomatic gastrointestinal carriage of VRE.