Hospital effluent constitutes a source of vancomycin-resistant enterococci

Objectives: Enterococci are intrinsically resistant to many commonly used antimicrobial agents. They are able to acquire resistance with relative ease and can spread these genes to other species. Enterococci resistant to antibiotics are associated with the use of these in clinical practice and also the spread of resistant clones in the world. The aim of this work was to compare the characteristics of the strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from municipal wastewater and hospital effluent. Methods: Samples were obtained from the effluent of the Hospital Universitario Jose de San Martin (Buenos Aires) and the municipal wastewater of the city of Buenos Aires. Results: The bacterial counts of VRE were greater in the hospital effluent, with an odds ratio of 36.4 (95% CI: 26.0-50.8; p<0.0001). The VRE isolated were mainly identified as E. faecium. The results indicate a high prevalence of enterococci resistant to the antibiotics tested. Conclusion: We may conclude that the effluents of hospitals constitute a source of VRE showing multiple resistance to antibiotics.