Frequency of vancomycin resistance and vanA gene in enterococci isolated from Tabriz Children's teaching and treatment center

Background Enterococci are part of the normal flora of both the human and animal gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was to compare vancomycin resistance and vanA gene in clinical and stool isolates in children specimens.
Methods One hundred enterococcal isolates were identified by laboratory tests and then they were examined for their antibiotic resistance. Resistant isolates were also studied by PCR for vanA gene.
Results Of 50 stool isolates, 48 were Enterococcus faecium and 2 isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecalis. In our 50 clinical isolates, 23 were belonged to Enterococcus faecium while 27 isolates were Enterococcus faecalis. The stool isolates showed higher resistance to vancomycin than those from clinical isolates. In our stool isolates the rate of vancomycin resistance was 52%, while the vancomycin resistance rate in the clinical isolates was 32%. According to PCR results, in the 26 vancomycin resistant isolates from stool specimens, vanA gene was found in 1 isolate, though in our 16 vancomycin resistant isolates from clinical specimens, vanA gene was found in 10 isolates.
Conclusion Vancomycin resistant enterococci are of public health concern, especially in hospitals. Our results showed that stool isolates had higher resistance to antibiotics than those from clinical isolates. In the stool isolates the rate of vancomycin resistance was 52%, while the vancomycin resistance rate in our clinical isolates was 32%, but vanA gene was more prevalent among clinical isolates than stool isolates.