Evaluation of a New Molecular System for Simultaneous Identification of Four Enterococcus Species and Their Glycopeptide Resistance Genotypes

We compared the performances of a new DNA-based strip assay and the VITEK 2 system for identification of 105 enterococcal strains and differentiation of their van gene-associated resistance levels. Both methods provided excellent results. The molecular assay showed advantages in time to result for identification of van-associated genes. Enterococci play an important role in nosocomial infections, e.g., urinary tract infections, endocarditis, sepsis, and wound infections (10, 20). During recent years, an increasing preva-lence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), from 25 to 50%, has become a reason for concern in clinical settings, especially in the United States (1, 6). The prevalence of VRE in Europe remains low, i.e., 2 to 5 % in most countries (18). Prevalences of more than 10 % and dissemination in intensive care units have also been reported (7, 19). Susceptibility testing of VRE using molecular analysis of the van gene cluster is feasible (5), and various methods based on PCR have bee