Abstract
The enterococci, microbes well-adapted to existence as commensals of the gastrointestinal tracts of organisms from man to insects, have emerged over the last several decades as leading hospital pathogens. This evolution stems in part from their intrinsic resistance to harsh conditions in the hospital environment, including host mucosal defences, disinfectants and desiccation, often resulting in their occurrence with other antibiotic-resistant microbes. In hospital and agricultural environments, enterococci have served as a collection point for antibiotic resistance factors, and with the emergence in the 1980s of vancomycin-resistant strains, few bactericidal therapies remain. In an ominous development, they have begun to transmit this resistance to meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. As a result, multidrug-resistant enterococci have become a leading public health concern.
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