Statewide surveillance for antibiotic-resistant bacteria--New Jersey, 1992-1994.

The increasing occurrence of infection with antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and other emerging infectious diseases has required the development of flexible and timely surveillance systems for monitoring these problems (1,2). To determine the extent of antibiotic resistance in New Jersey, in 1991 the New Jersey State Department of Health (NJSDOH) initiated a hospital laboratory isolate-based surveillance system for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This report describes the surveillance system and summarizes findings during 1992-1994 for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)--the most rapidly increasing antibiotic-resistant bacteria reported by New Jersey hospitals.