Alireza Nateghian1, Fatemeh Fallah2, Zahra Daghighi3, Hossein Goudarzi4, Ali Hashemi4, Joan L Robinson5. 1. Iran University of Medical Sciences, Ali-Asghar Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran. 2. Pediatric Infections Research Center, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. 4. Department of Microbiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 5. Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Electronic address: jr3@ualberta.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The study of virulence genes carried by enterococci has become of greater relevance as nosocomial enterococcal infections have become more prevalent and possibly more severe. METHODS: Surveillance swabs were performed on children less than 18 months of age in an intensive care unit in Iran in 2012-2013. Multiplex PCR and sequencing methods were used to detect gelE, esp and asa1 genes in enterococci with intermediate or full resistance to vancomycin. RESULTS: The rate of carriage of the genes was gelE (91%), esp (79%) and asa1 (87%). CONCLUSION: The majority of enterococcal strains with resistance to vancomycin carry genes for all three potential virulence factors that were analyzed in this study. This might explain why enterococcal infections appear to be more virulent than in the past.
BACKGROUND: The study of virulence genes carried by enterococci has become of greater relevance as nosocomial enterococcal infections have become more prevalent and possibly more severe. METHODS: Surveillance swabs were performed on children less than 18 months of age in an intensive care unit in Iran in 2012-2013. Multiplex PCR and sequencing methods were used to detect gelE, esp and asa1 genes in enterococci with intermediate or full resistance to vancomycin. RESULTS: The rate of carriage of the genes was gelE (91%), esp (79%) and asa1 (87%). CONCLUSION: The majority of enterococcal strains with resistance to vancomycin carry genes for all three potential virulence factors that were analyzed in this study. This might explain why enterococcal infections appear to be more virulent than in the past.