Emergência de Enterococcus resistente à vancomicina na cidade do Natal/RN

The genus Enterococcus belongs to the group of Gram-positive cocci, morphologically arranged in pairs or chains. It colonizes the human microbiota, mainly the gastrointestinal system. This genus has emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen causing community and nosocomial infections. The survive in the hospital environment is related to the presence of intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics, in addition to capabilities of resistance acquisition by mutation or mobile genetic elements. The aim of the study is to characterize phenotypic and genetically strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. Five strains from different hospitals were analyzed, it was collected from peripheral blood, anal swab, cerebrospinal fluid and purulent secretion. The isolates were identified at the species level by automated system VITEK 2. The resistance profile to antimicrobials was assessed by disk-difusion test, E-test and dilution in agar as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Stardards Institute, 2016. The genetic relationship between the strains were evaluated by the technique of Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). All strains were identified as Enterococcus faecalis and showed resistance to vancomycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, as well as high levels of gentamicin and streptomycin. One sample had resistance to linezolida and all of them were sensitive to ampicillin and fosfomycin. The isolates had two distinct types, A and B, in which pulse A predominated in four strains. The emergence of resistance to vancomycin observed in this study may point to a possible change in the epidemiology of enterococcal infections in the city of Natal. ; O gênero Enterococcus pertence ao grupo dos cocos Gram-positivos dispostos, morfologicamente, em pares ou cadeias curtas. Eles colonizam naturalmente o ser humano, principalmente o sistema gastrointestinal. Contudo, esse gênero vem emergindo como um importante agente patogênico oportunista causador de infecções, tanto comunitárias quanto hospitalares. A sua sobrevivência no ...