Enterococci are used as starter and probiotic cultures in foods, and they occur as natural food contaminants. The genus Enterococcus is of increased significance as a cause of nosocomial infections, and this trend is exacerbated by the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we investigated the incidence of known virulence determinants in starter, food, and medical strains of Enter...

BACKGROUND Enterococcus faecium has received increased attention, primarily due to the emergence of vancomycin resistance. The purpose of this investigation was to study the epidemiological characteristics of vancomycin-resistant E faecium (VRE) bacteremia and to determine the clinical impact of vancomycin resistance on the outcome of patients with this infection. METHODS We retrospectively a...

To determine patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility among enterococci and to assess molecular characteristics of vancomycin-resistant enterococci, 157 clinical blood isolates of enterococci from 10 hospitals in Cincinnati, Ohio, were prospectively collected during a 6-month period from February to July 1995. The isolates included 108 (69%) E. faecalis isolates, 46 (29%) E. faecium isolates, a...

The occurrence of resistance to the streptogramin quinupristin-dalfopristin in Enterococcus faecium isolates from chickens on the Eastern Seaboard, was evaluated. Quinupristin-dalfopristin resistance was found in 51 to 78% of E. faecium isolates from the food production environment. The high level of resistance in this organism suggests that this reservoir of resistance may compromise the thera...

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium has emerged as a multidrug-resistant pathogen in hospital settings. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of a high-level vancomycin-resistant strain, E. faecium ATCC 51559, which is employed as a standard laboratory vanA genotype-positive control strain for clinical and laboratory studies.

The bacteriocin enterocin A (EntA) produced by Enterococcus faecium T136 has been successfully cloned and produced by the yeasts Pichia pastoris X-33EA, Kluyveromyces lactis GG799EA, Hansenula polymorpha KL8-1EA, and Arxula adeninivorans G1212EA. Moreover, P. pastoris X-33EA and K. lactis GG799EA produced EntA in larger amounts and with higher antimicrobial and specific antimicrobial activities...

Small colony variants (SCV) are slow-growing subpopulations of bacteria usually associated with auxotrophism, causing persistent or recurrent infections. Enterococcus faecalis SCV have been seldom described, and only one case of Enterococcus faecium SCV has been reported, associated with sepsis in a leukaemia patient. Here we report the first case described of bacteraemia and endocarditis by SC...

We report the first strain of glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium from Europe that contains a vanD allele isolated from blood cultures of an immunocompromised patient hospitalized in a French university hospital. Based on phenotypic results, PCR sequencing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and Southern blotting, the isolate was assigned to E. faecium with a chromosomally located VanD a...

Enterococcus faecium is commonly isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract; however, important intraspecies variations exist with relevance for host health and well-being. Here, we describe the draft genome sequence of E. faecium PC4.1, a clade B strain isolated from human feces.

Enterococci are Gram-positive bacteria that are found in plants, soil and as commensals of the gastrointestinal tract of humans, mammals, and insects. Despite their commensal nature, they have also become globally important nosocomial pathogens. Within the genus Enterococcus, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus faecalis are clinically most relevant. In this review, we will discuss how E. fae...