Increasing prevalence of high-level gentamicin resistance among enterococci isolated in Greece

Abstract

High-level gentamicin-resistant enterococci (HLGRE) (MIC >512 mug/ml) were frequently recovered in the AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, during a 15-month period (67/158, 42.4%). PCR testing showed that high-level gentamicin resistance was attributable to the presence of the aac(6')-aph(2") gene, while the recently described genes aph (2")-lc and aph(2")-ld were not detected. High-level gentamicin resistance could be transferred with varying frequency from 41 of 57 Enterococcus faecalis and 5 of 10 Enterococcus faecium isolates. All transconjugants acquired high-level resistance to streptomycin. HLGRE cause therapeutic problems in our region, since none of the clinically available aminoglycosides can be used in severe infections. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.