First Characterization of a Cluster of VanA-Type Glycopeptide-ResistantEnterococcus faecium,Colombia

Diana Panesso, Sigifredo Ospina, Jaime Robledo, María Claudia Vela, Julieta Peña, Orville Hernández, Jinnethe Reyes, César A. Arias
2002 Emerging Infectious Diseases  
glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) were isolated from 23 infected patients at a teaching hospital in Medellín, Colombia. Identification at the species level and by multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay indicated that all isolates were Enterococcus faecium. The isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, penicillin, streptomycin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin; they were susceptible only to chloramphenicol, linezolid, and nitrofurantoin. Determination of
more » ... eptide genotype indicated the presence of the vanA gene in all isolates. Molecular typing by pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed that all isolates were closely related. This study is the first molecular characterization of GRE in Colombia.
doi:10.3201/eid0809.010435 pmid:12194774 pmcid:PMC2732560 fatcat:ink2bieagbfd5pmtifk2nsgj2e