RESISTANCE TO VANCOMYCIN IN ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM AND FAECA LIS CLINICAL ISOLATES

The aim of this study was to investigate antibacterial resistance among enterococci species isolated in Tehran Baghyatallah Hospital. It consisted of 126 isolates of E. faecalis (86%), E. faecium (9%) and other Enterococus Spp. (5%) isolated from urine (34.92%), blood (27.77%), wound swabs (19.84), stool (5%) endotracheal secretions (3.37%), abscess (3.4%), dialysis fluids (1.7%) and catheter (4%). Twelve (9.5%) isolates were resistant to vancomycin. The VRE isolates were resistant to ampicillin (75%), erythromycin (50%), tetracycline (58%), ciprofloxacin (41.6%), chloramphenicol (33.3%) and gentamicin (41.6%). Two (16.66%) of VRE isolates were multidrug resistant. Eight (66.6%) of the vancomycin-resistant strains and all of the MDR strains carried the vanA phenotype and genotype. The MIC of VRE isolates were between 32-512µg/ml. Our results show that most glycopeptide resistant E. faecalis and E. Faecium carried vanA. It is also possible that frequency of infections caused by glycopeptide-resistant enterococci will increase in our geographical area.