Identification of VanB-Type Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococcus gallinarum from Japan.

In late January 1996, pus obtained from a periproctal abscess on an acute myeloid leukemia patient in Toho University Omori Hospital yielded Enterococcus gallinarum strain TUH327. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the agar dilution method showed that this strain was resistant to low levels of vancomycin but remained susceptible to teicoplanin, indicating resistance of the VanC type that is, the intrisic glycopeptide resistance of motile enterococci such as Enterococcus. casseliflavus and E. gallinarum. Subsequently, to confirm the existence of the VanC in E. gallinarum TUH 327, we carried out PCR using primer sets specific to vanA, vanB and vanC. Unexpectedly, results showed the coexistence of vanB and vanC in E. gallinarum TUH327. This appears to be the first reported isolation anywhere in the world of motile enterococci harboring vanB, and also the first report of vanB in any enterococci from Japan.