Characterizing Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci in Neonatal Intensive Care

Abstract

Repetitive sequence–based polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting was used to characterize 23 vancomycin-nonsusceptible enterococcal isolates from 2003 to 2004. Five genetically related clusters spanned geographically distinct referring centers. DNA fingerprinting showed infant-to-infant transmission from referring institutions. Thus, community healthcare facilities are a source of vancomycin-nonsusceptible enterococci and should be targeted for increased infection control efforts.

Keywords

• Vancomycin-resistant enterococci
• active surveillance
• antimicrobial resistance
• healthcare-associated infections
• multidrug-resistant organisms
• neonates