Cluster of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium ST117 in Norwegian hospitals. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hegstad, Kristin; Longva, Jørn-Åge; Hide, Reidar; Aasnæs, Bettina; Lunde, Tracy M.; Simonsen, Gunnar Skov
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. Volume 46:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 712
• Page End: 715
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.3109/00365548.2014.923107
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-5548

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>A linezolid-resistant, vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium strain was isolated from 3 patients who had not received linezolid. The first patient was hospitalized in the same hospitals and wards as the 2 following patients. The E. faecium isolates were resistant to linezolid (minimum inhibitory concentration 8–32 mg/l), ampicillin, and high levels of gentamicin. Resistance to linezolid was associated with a G2576T mutation in 23S rDNA. The <italic>cfr</italic> linezolid resistance gene was not detected. The 3 isolates showed identical DNA fingerprints by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, belonged to ST117, and harboured virulence genes <italic>esp, hyl, acm, efaAfm, srgA, ecbA, scm, pilA, pilB</italic>, and <italic>pstD</italic> typically associated with high-risk E. faecium genotypes. The linezolid-resistant E. faecium high-risk clone caused bacteraemia in the first 2 cancer patients and survived in the hospital environment for more than a year before appearing in the urethral catheter of the third patient.</p> </abstract>