Low prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in clinical samples from hospitalized patients of the Canary Islands, Spain

Authors

  • Xiomara Pérez-Hernández Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • Sebastián Méndez-Álvarez Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Department of Cellular Biology and Microbiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
  • Teresa Delgado Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • Antonio Moreno Microbiology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • José Antonio Reyes-Darias Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • Antonio Sierra López Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • Jesús Villar Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • Agustín González Microbiology Service, Hospital Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Antonio Manuel Martín Sánchez Microbiology Service, Hospital Insular, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
  • Manuel Macía Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Nephrology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
  • Félix Claverie-Martín Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Keywords:

enterococcus, prevalence, glycopeptide, antibiotic resistance

Abstract

Over the last decade vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have emerged as nosocomial pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of VRE in clinical samples from hospitalized patients in the Canary Islands. From April to November 2000, 437 enterococci were isolated from patients hospitalized at the four main health care centers in those islands. Identification to the species level was performed with the GPS-TA (Vitek 1) or the Wider I system. A PCR assay was used to determine the genotype of glycopeptide resistance (vanA, vanB, vanC1, and vanC2/C3 genes). Only three (0.7%) VRE were detected: one vanA Enterococcus faecalis, and two vanC1 Enterococcus gallinarum. To our knowledge, this is the first VRE study carried out in the Canary Islands hospitals, and the results showed a low prevalence of VRE.

Author Biographies

Xiomara Pérez-Hernández, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Sebastián Méndez-Álvarez, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Department of Cellular Biology and Microbiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Department of Cellular Biology and Microbiology, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain

Teresa Delgado, Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Antonio Moreno, Microbiology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Microbiology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

José Antonio Reyes-Darias, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Antonio Sierra López, Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Microbiology Service, Canarian University Hospital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Jesús Villar, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Agustín González, Microbiology Service, Hospital Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Microbiology Service, Hospital Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Antonio Manuel Martín Sánchez, Microbiology Service, Hospital Insular, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Microbiology Service, Hospital Insular, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Manuel Macía, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Nephrology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain

Research Unit, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; and Nephrology Service, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria, La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain

Félix Claverie-Martín, Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Unidad de Investigación,
Hospital Dr. Negrín,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

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Published

2010-09-21

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Section

Research Articles