ENTEROCOCCUS-FAECIUM STRAINS WITH VANA-MEDIATED HIGH-LEVEL GLYCOPEPTIDE RESISTANCE ISOLATED FROM ANIMAL FOODSTUFFS AND FECAL SAMPLES OF HUMANS IN THE COMMUNITY

The occurrence and the further spread of high-level glycopeptide-resis tant, vanA-positive Enterococcus faecium strains outside of hospitals have been investigated. We could isolate such bacteria directly from t hawing liquids of commercially produced frozen poultry (chickens, turk eys; no further data on previous feeding with avoparcin were available ). In 5 of 13 samples of raw minced meat of pigs originating from 13 d ifferent butcher's shops, glycopeptide-resistant E. faecium (VanA type ) could be detected after overnight broth cultivation of these samples . No glycopeptide-resistant enterococci could be isolated from meat sa mples of chickens that were fed without avoparcin. VanA type E. faeciu m strains were also identified in 12 fecal samples recovered from 100 nonhospitalized humans in the rural area of Saxony-Anhalt federal coun ty. These results suggest a possible role of the food chain in the spr ead of glycopeptide-resistant E. faecium. Molecular typing (macrorestr iction and multilocus enzyme analysis) reveal a wide dissemination of the vanA gene among strains of different ecological origins.