Reality Check: Should We Try to Detect and Isolate Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Patients?

2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Ostrowsky ◽  
James T. Steinberg ◽  
Barry Farr ◽  
Annette H. Sohn ◽  
Ronda L. Sinkowitz-Cochran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Reality Check ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance, including vancomycin resistance in enterococci (VRE), is a growing problem in healthcare facilities. This “Reality Check” session focused on the question of whether we should try to detect and isolate patients colonized or infected with VRE.

scholarly journals First Report of the Local Spread of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Ascribed to the Interspecies Transmission of a vanA Gene Cluster-Carrying Linear Plasmid

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Hashimoto ◽  
Izumi Kita ◽  
Masato Suzuki ◽  
Hidetada Hirakawa ◽  
Hirofumi Ohtaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Gene Cluster ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Linear Plasmid ◽  
Broad Host Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Spread ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

ABSTRACT Vancomycin-resistant enterococci pose a threat in the clinical setting and have been linked to hospital outbreaks worldwide. In 2017, a local spread of VanA-type vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) occurred in Japan, and 25 enterococcal isolates, including 14 Enterococcus faecium, 8 E. raffinosus, and 3 E. casseliflavus isolates, were identified from four inpatients. Molecular analysis of the multispecies of VanA-type VRE revealed the involvement of both the dissemination of clonally related VRE strains between patients and the horizontal transfer of plasmids harboring the vanA gene cluster between Enterococcus spp. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that the plasmid DNAs without S1 nuclease treatment were able to migrate into the gel, suggesting that the topology of the plasmid was linear. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that this plasmid, designated pELF2, was 108,102 bp long and encoded multiple antimicrobial resistance genes, including ermA and ant(9). The amino acid sequences of putative replication- and transfer-related genes were highly conserved between pELF2 and pELF1, the latter of which was the first identified enterococcal conjugative linear plasmid. On comparing the genomic structure, pELF2 showed the presence of a backbone similar to that of pELF1, especially with respect to the nucleotide sequences of both terminal ends, indicating a hybrid-type linear plasmid, possessing two different terminal structures. pELF2 possessed a broad host range and high conjugation frequencies for enterococci. The easy transfer of pELF2 to different Enterococcus spp. in vitro might explain this local spread of multiple species, highlighting the clinical threat from the spread of antimicrobial resistance by an enterococcal linear plasmid. IMPORTANCE Increasing multidrug resistance, including vancomycin resistance, in enterococci is a major concern in clinical settings. Horizontal gene transfer, such as via plasmids, has been shown to play a crucial role in the acquisition of vancomycin resistance. Among vancomycin resistance types, the VanA type is one of the most prevalent, and outbreaks caused by VanA-type vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have occurred worldwide. Here, we describe an enterococcal linear plasmid responsible for multispecies local spread of VanA-type VRE. Such a study is important because although hospital outbreaks caused by mixed enterococcal species have been reported, this particular spread indicates plasmid transfer across species. This is a crucial finding because the high risk for such a spread of antimicrobial resistance calls for regular monitoring and surveillance.

Timing and route of contamination of hospitalized patient rooms with healthcare-associated pathogens

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Sarah N. Redmond ◽  
Basya S. Pearlmutter ◽  
Yilen K. Ng-Wong ◽  
Heba Alhmidi ◽  
Jennifer L. Cadnum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Portable Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Bacteriophage Ms2 ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Objective: To investigate the timing and routes of contamination of the rooms of patients newly admitted to the hospital. Design: Observational cohort study and simulations of pathogen transfer. Setting: A Veterans’ Affairs hospital. Participants: Patients newly admitted to the hospital with no known carriage of healthcare-associated pathogens. Methods: Interactions between the participants and personnel or portable equipment were observed, and cultures of high-touch surfaces, floors, bedding, and patients’ socks and skin were collected for up to 4 days. Cultures were processed for Clostridioides difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Simulations were conducted with bacteriophage MS2 to assess plausibility of transfer from contaminated floors to high-touch surfaces and to assess the effectiveness of wearing slippers in reducing transfer. Results: Environmental cultures became positive for at least 1 pathogen in 10 (59%) of the 17 rooms, with cultures positive for MRSA, C. difficile, and VRE in the rooms of 10 (59%), 2 (12%), and 2 (12%) participants, respectively. For all 14 instances of pathogen detection, the initial site of recovery was the floor followed in a subset of patients by detection on sock bottoms, bedding, and high-touch surfaces. In simulations, wearing slippers over hospital socks dramatically reduced transfer of bacteriophage MS2 from the floor to hands and to high-touch surfaces. Conclusions: Floors may be an underappreciated source of pathogen dissemination in healthcare facilities. Simple interventions such as having patients wear slippers could potentially reduce the risk for transfer of pathogens from floors to hands and high-touch surfaces.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Exposure to Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens Among Patients Discharged From a Single Hospital Across All California Healthcare Facilities

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 1275-1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupak Datta ◽  
Shawn Brown ◽  
Vinh Q. Nguyen ◽  
Chenghua Cao ◽  
John Billimek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Total Exposure ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant

OBJECTIVETo assess the time-dependent exposure of California healthcare facilities to patients harboring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) upon discharge from 1 hospital.METHODSRetrospective multiple-cohort study of adults discharged from 1 hospital in 2005–2009, counting hospitals, nursing homes, cities, and counties in which carriers were readmitted, and comparing the number and length of stay of readmissions and the number of distinct readmission facilities among carriers versus noncarriers.RESULTSWe evaluated 45,772 inpatients including those with MRSA (N=1,198), VRE (N=547), ESBL (N=121), and CDI (N=300). Within 1 year of discharge, MRSA, VRE, and ESBL carriers exposed 137, 117, and 45 hospitals and 103, 83, and 37 nursing homes, generating 58,804, 33,486, and 15,508 total exposure-days, respectively. Within 90 days of discharge, CDI patients exposed 36 hospitals and 35 nursing homes, generating 7,318 total exposure-days. Compared with noncarriers, carriers had more readmissions to hospitals (MRSA:1.8 vs 0.9/patient; VRE: 2.6 vs 0.9; ESBL: 2.3 vs 0.9; CDI: 0.8 vs 0.4; all P<.001) and nursing homes (MRSA: 0.4 vs 0.1/patient; VRE: 0.7 vs 0.1; ESBL: 0.7 vs 0.1; CDI: 0.3 vs 0.1; all P<.001) and longer hospital readmissions (MRSA: 8.9 vs 7.3 days; VRE: 8.9 vs 7.4; ESBL: 9.6 vs 7.5; CDI: 12.3 vs 8.2; all P<.01).CONCLUSIONSPatients harboring antibiotic-resistant pathogens rapidly expose numerous facilities during readmissions; regional containment strategies are needed.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(11):1275–1282

scholarly journals Novel genomic islands and a new vanD-subtype in the first sporadic VanD-type vancomycin resistant enterococci in Norway

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0255187
Author(s):  
Mushtaq T. S. AL Rubaye ◽  
Jessin Janice ◽  
Jørgen Vildershøj Bjørnholt ◽  
Aleksandra Jakovljev ◽  
Maria Elisabeth Hultström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Genomic Islands ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Chromosomal Site ◽  
Enterococcus Casseliflavus ◽  
Temporal Occurrence ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
High Level

Background Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) represent several types of transferable vancomycin resistance gene clusters. The vanD type, associated with moderate to high level vancomycin resistance, has only sporadically been described in clinical isolates. The aim of this study was to perform a genetic characterization of the first VanD-type VRE strains detected in Norway. Methods The VanD-type VRE-strains (n = 6) from two patient cases were examined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) to uncover Van-phenotype, strain phylogeny, the vanD gene clusters, and their genetic surroundings. The putative transferability of vanD was examined by circularization PCR and filter mating. Results The VanD-type Enterococcus faecium (n = 4) and Enterococcus casseliflavus (n = 2) strains recovered from two cases (A and B), expressed moderate to high level vancomycin resistance (MIC 64—>256 mg/L) and various levels of teicoplanin susceptibility (MIC 2—>256 mg/L). WGS analyses revealed phylogenetically different E. faecium strains (A1, A2, and A3 of case A and B1 from case B) as well as vanD gene clusters located on different novel genomic islands (GIs). The E. casseliflavus strains (B2 and B3 of case B) were not clonally related, but harbored nearly identical novel GIs. The vanD cluster of case B strains represents a novel vanD-subtype. All the vanD-GIs were integrated at the same chromosomal site and contained genes consistent with a Clostridiales origin. Circular forms of the vanD-GIs were detected in all strains except B1. Transfer of vanD to an E. faecium recipient was unsuccessful. Conclusions We describe the first VanD-type E. casseliflavus strains, a novel vanD-subtype, and three novel vanD-GIs with a genetic content consistent with a Clostridiales order origin. Despite temporal occurrence, case A and B E. faecium strains were phylogenetically diverse and harbored different vanD subtypes and vanD-GIs.

scholarly journals Emergence and spread of vancomycin resistance among enterococci in Europe

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (47) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Werner ◽  
T M Coque ◽  
A M Hammerum ◽  
R Hope ◽  
W Hryniewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Analysis ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus ◽  
Phenotypic Marker ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Distinct Subpopulation ◽  
Typing Methods ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Hospital Acquired ◽  
Animal Strains

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) first appeared in the late 1980s in a few European countries. Nowadays, six types of acquired vancomycin resistance in enterococci are known; however, only VanA and to a lesser extent VanB are widely prevalent. Various genes encode acquired vancomycin resistance and these are typically associated with mobile genetic elements which allow resistance to spread clonally and laterally. The major reservoir of acquired vancomycin resistance is Enterococcus faecium; vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis are still rare. Population analysis of E. faecium has revealed a distinct subpopulation of hospital-acquired strain types, which can be differentiated by molecular typing methods (MLVA, MLST) from human commensal and animal strains. Hospital-acquired E. faecium have additional genomic content (accessory genome) including several factors known or supposed to be virulence-associated. Acquired ampicillin resistance is a major phenotypic marker of hospital-acquired E. faecium in Europe and experience has shown that it often precedes increasing rates of VRE with a delay of several years. Several factors are known to promote VRE colonisation and transmission; however, despite having populations with similar predispositions and preconditions, rates of VRE vary all over Europe.

scholarly journals Draft Genome Sequence of a Vancomycin-Resistant and Vancomycin-Dependent Enterococcus faecium Isolate

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Blaschitz ◽  
Sarah Lepuschitz ◽  
Laura Wagner ◽  
Franz Allerberger ◽  
Alexander Indra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Enterococcus Faecium ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Draft Genome Sequence ◽  
Nosocomial Pathogens ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Faecium Isolate

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci have emerged as major nosocomial pathogens worldwide. While antimicrobial pressure promotes nosocomial colonization with these enterococci, prolonged exposure to vancomycin may foster the transition from vancomycin resistance to vancomycin dependence. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a vancomycin-dependent Enterococcus faecium isolate showing partial teicoplanin dependence.

scholarly journals New Gram-Positive Agents: the Next Generation of Oxazolidinones and Lipoglycopeptides

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 2225-2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Crotty ◽  
Tamara Krekel ◽  
Carey-Ann D. Burnham ◽  
David J. Ritchie
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Skin Structure ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
The U.S

The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens, including methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), has reached a critical state. Tedizolid phosphate, dalbavancin, and oritavancin have recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and represent the next generation of oxazolidinones and lipoglycopeptides. All three agents exhibitin vitroactivity and clinical efficacy against MRSA. Tedizolid phosphate and oritavancin demonstratein vitroactivity against VRE. These new Gram-positive agents are reviewed here.

scholarly journals Vancomycin Resistance Is Maintained in Enterococci in the Viable but Nonculturable State and after Division Is Resumed

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 1154-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria del Mar Lleò ◽  
Barbara Bonato ◽  
Caterina Signoretto ◽  
Pietro Canepari
Keyword(s):  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Survival Strategy ◽  
Vbnc State ◽  
Additional Risk ◽  
Viable But Nonculturable ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Nonculturable State ◽  
Resistance Trait ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Viable But Nonculturable State

ABSTRACT Stressed vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) can activate a survival strategy known as the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state and are able to maintain vancomycin resistance. During restoration of division they continue to express the vancomycin resistance trait. We suggest that VBNC enterococci may constitute further reservoirs of VRE and therefore represent an additional risk for human health.

scholarly journals High-level vancomycin-resistant enterococci causing hospital infections

1989 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. C. Uttley ◽  
R. C. George ◽  
J. Naidoo ◽  
N. Woodford ◽  
A. P. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmid Dna ◽  
Vancomycin Resistance ◽  
Recipient Strain ◽  
Hospital Infections ◽  
Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Many Sources ◽  
High Level ◽  
Level Resistance

SUMMARYNosocomial infection or colonization due to enterococci with high-level resistance to vancomycin (minimal inhibitory concentrations [MICs] between 64 and > 2000 mg/L) has occurred in 41 patients with renal disease. These vancomycin-resistant enterococci were cultured from many sources including blood. All but one strain contained one or more plasmids ranging in molecular weight from 1·0 to 40 Megadaltons (MDa). Vancomycin resistance was transferable by conjugation to a susceptible recipient strain ofEnterococcus faecalisbut this was not always associated with plasmid DNA. The emergence of transferable high-level vancomycin resistance in enterococci causing significant clinical infections is of particular importance since vancomycin is widely regarded as a reserve drug for the management of infections with multi-resistant Gram-positive organisms.

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