ENTEROCOCCUS CAUSING HUMAN INFECTIONS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VANCOMYCIN RESISTANCE: A MATTER OF CONCERN

S.M. MURAWALA¹*, M.M. VEGAD², S.T. SONI³, P.V. GANDHI⁴, K.P. MODI⁵, F.V. PATEL^6
1Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
²Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
³Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
⁴Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
⁵Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
⁶Department of Microbiology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad - 380 016, Gujarat, India.
* Corresponding Author : swetamurawala@gmail.com

Received : 08-07-2015     Accepted : 28-07-2015     Published : 04-08-2015
Volume : 7     Issue : 2       Pages : 627 - 630
Int J Microbiol Res 7.2 (2015):627-630

Keywords : Antibiotic susceptibility assay, Epsilometer test, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration(MIC), Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Academic Editor : Dr Pranay Shah, Dr Prof Hansa Goswami, Dr. Anusha. N, Ayesha Farooqui, Ramanand J Patil, Kanagasanthosh. K, Sathish Kumar Konidala, Janmajoy Banerjee
Conflict of Interest : None declared

Background- Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) pose an emerging problem in hospitals worldwide. This study was to determine the prevalence of Vancomycin Resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from various clinical specimens. Materials and Methods- Between time periods of June 2014 to May 2015, total 208 Enterococcal strains were isolated from various clinical samples and confirmed by standard biochemical test methods. Antibiotic susceptibility assay was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and results were interpreted according to the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines 2014. For all the isolates initial Vancomycin Resistant enterococci screening by disc diffusion method was done and later confirmed by determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) by Epsilometer test. Results- 208 isolates of enterococcal spp. were obtained from various clinical specimens .76 (36.53%) accounted for E.faecalis and 128 (61.53%) for E.faecium and 4(1.92%) isolates were other enterococcal spp. 84.14% of isolated Enterococcus were resistant to ampicillin, followed by amikacin(73.08%), ciprofloxacin (66.83%), Levofloxacin(30.77%), HLG (High Level Gentamicin) (12.01%), vancomycin (4.81%). All Vancomycin Resistant enterococci showed high Minimum Inhibitory Concentration value for vancomycin by Epsilometer test. Conclusion- Our study reveals the emerging problem of Vancomycin Resistant enterococci thus all laboratories should have prompt and appropriate detection methods for Vancomycin resistance to restrict the spread of infection, which is a real threat to the community, Treatment of infection by VRE with drugs such as Quinupristin-Dalfopristin, Linezolid & Tigecycline.