Polyclonal emergence of vanA vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Australia. (24th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van Hal, Sebastiaan J.; Espedido, Björn A.; Coombs, Geoffrey W.; Howden, Benjamin P.; Korman, Tony M.; Nimmo, Graeme R.; Gosbell, Iain B.; Jensen, Slade O.
• Is Part Of: Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy. Volume 72:Number 4(2017:Apr.)
• Page Start: 998
• Page End: 1001
• Publication Date: 2016-12-24
• Subjects: Anti-infective agents -- Periodicals; Chemotherapy -- Periodicals; 615.58
• DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkw539
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-7453

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: To investigate the genetic context associated with the emergence of vanA VRE in Australia. Methods: The whole genomes of 18 randomly selected vanA -positive Enterococcus faecium patient isolates, collected between 2011 and 2013 from hospitals in four Australian capitals, were sequenced and analysed. Results: In silico typing and transposon/plasmid assembly revealed that the sequenced isolates represented (in most cases) different hospital-adapted STs and were associated with a variety of different Tn 1546 variants and plasmid backbone structures. Conclusions: The recent emergence of vanA VRE in Australia was polyclonal and not associated with the dissemination of a single 'dominant' ST or vanA -encoding plasmid. Interestingly, the factors contributing to this epidemiological change are not known and future studies may need to consider investigation of potential community sources.