Enterococci: An Important Nosocomial Pathogen

Abstract

Enterococci, particularly Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, are an important cause of nosocomial infections and have become a major issue worldwide. Nosocomial infections due to vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE) occur frequently. A significant increase in prevalence of VRE has been reported recently in many countries. Enterococci are second most frequent cause of nosocomial urinary tract infection, bacteremia and infective endocarditis. They are also related to etiology of intra-abdominal an pelvic infections, gastrointestinal infections and oral infections. The ability of Enterococci to survive in adverse conditions, presence of virulence factors and possession of intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance traits poses a therapeutic challenge. Due to high level of multidrug resistance in VRE, Enterococcus has become an important organism in health based settings.