Nosocomial Spread of <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> Resistant to Vancomycin and Linezolid in a Tertiary Care Medical Center

Abstract

In May 2004 our institution encountered its first clinical isolate of linezolid-resistant, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (LRVRE). Between October 2004 and July 2005, 40 patients from whom LRVRE organisms were recovered in clinical specimens were characterized. Epidemiologic investigation and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns indicated a clonal outbreak related to nosocomial spread.