Gut Overgrowth of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) Results in Linezolid-resistant Mutation in a Child With Severe Congenital Neutropenia

Abstract

A child with severe congenital neutropenia was monitored with microbiologic surveillance cultures for 3 years. He had recurrent bacterial infections and carriage of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Resistance to linezolid emerged in the colonizing vancomycin-resistant enterococci after each course of this antibiotic when enterococci were present in overgrowth in the gut before treatment. The child was successfully treated for his congenital neutropenia by unrelated donor stem cell transplantation.