Enterococci commonly found in the intestinal flora have emerged as com
mon nosocomial pathogens. Up till 1988, all enterococcal strains were
sensitive to vancomycin. However, there are now reports of vancomycin
resistant Enterococcus (VRE) from Europe and USA. In this communicatio
n we report the case of a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia who was
colonized with VRE and subsequently developed septicaemia. The entero
cocci were resistant to both vancomycin and teicoplanin but sensitive
to tetracycline and trimethoprim. The patient made a favourable respon
se to tetracycline therapy. It is suggested that all enterococcal isol
ates should be routinely screened for vancomycin resistance, especiall
y in immunocompromised patients on prophylactic antibiotics.