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Trend of clinical vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated in a regional Italian hospital from 2001 to 2018

  • Bacterial Fungal and Virus Molecular Biology - Short Communication
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Abstract

A retrospective study of the epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in a regional hospital of central Italy in 2001–2018 demonstrated an increased VRE prevalence since 2016. A total of 113 VRE isolates, 89 E. faecium (VREfm) and 24 E. faecalis (VREfs), were collected in the study period. All strains showed high-level resistance to vancomycin; 107 also showed teicoplanin resistance. Altogether, 84 VREfm and 20 VREfs carried vanA, whereas 5 VREfm and 1 VREfs carried vanB. MLST analysis documented that 89 VREfm isolates mainly belonged to ST78, ST80, and ST117. Most strains were isolated from 2001 to 2007, ST78 being the predominant clone. VREfm re-emerged in 2016 with a prevalence of the ST80 lineage. Most VREfs were isolated from 2001 to 2006; although they belonged to 7 different STs, there was a prevalence of ST88 and ST6. Notably, ST88 was sporadically recovered throughout the study period. The increasing rate of VREfm isolation from 2016 to 2018 may be related to the influx of new successful clones and to the renewed and widespread use of vancomycin. Improved infection control measures in hospital wards should be adopted to limit the spread of new epidemic VRE strains.

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Funding

This work was supported by internal funding and by Progetto Strategico di Ateneo 2017–Polytechnic University of Marche “In the hunt of new antibiotics: active compounds from both chemical synthesis and natural sources.”

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Correspondence to Andrea Brenciani.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Ethical approval was waived by the institutional ethics committee due to the retrospective nature of the study and to the fact that all procedures were part of routine care.

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Responsible Editor: Marina Baquerizo Martinez.

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Fioriti, S., Simoni, S., Caucci, S. et al. Trend of clinical vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated in a regional Italian hospital from 2001 to 2018. Braz J Microbiol 51, 1607–1613 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-020-00360-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-020-00360-8

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