Environmental survival of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium

Abstract

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREFm) has become one of the most prominent hospital outbreak micro-organisms over the last decade, including renal wards. 1 Beltrami E.M. Singer D.A. Fish L. et al. Risk factors for acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci among patients on a renal ward during a community hospital outbreak. Am J Infect Control. 2000; 28: 282-285 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar In 2000 in The Netherlands, there was an outbreak of VREFm at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), predominantly in the dialysis department. During the outbreak several genetically different VREFm strains co-circulated among patients at the UMCU in parallel with the outbreak clone. Hygienic measures successfully controlled this VREFm. 2 Mascini E.M. Troelstra A. Beitsma M. et al. Genotyping and preemptive isolation to control an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Clin Infect Dis. 2006; 42: 739-746 Crossref PubMed Scopus (50) Google Scholar Other nosocomial outbreak pathogens, such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multiple-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB), can survive for a prolonged period even up to one year in an in vitro sample. 3 Wagenvoort J.H.T. Penders R.J.R. Long-term in-vitro survival of an epidemic MRSA phage-group III-29 strain. J Hosp Infect. 1997; 35: 322-325 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (39) Google Scholar , 4 Wagenvoort J.H.T. Joosten E.J.A.J. An outbreak Acinetobacter baumannii which mimics MRSA in its environmental longevity. J Hosp Infect. 2002; 52: 226-229 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (35) Google Scholar A pattern of survival has been noted for VREFm with survival measured up to a maximum of four months. 5 Bonilla H.F. Zervos M.J. Kauffman C.A. Long-term survival of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium on a contaminated surface. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1996; 17: 770-772 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar , 6 Wendt C. Wiesenthal B. Dietz E. Ruden H. Survival of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci on dry surfaces. J Clin Microbiol. 1998; 36: 3734-3736 PubMed Google Scholar