EMERGENCE OF HIGH-LEVEL RESISTANCE TO GLYCOPEPTIDES IN ENTEROCOCCUS-GALLINARUM AND ENTEROCOCCUS-CASSELIFLAVUS

Enterococcus gallinarum BM4231 and Enterococcus casseliflavus BM4232, isolated from the feces of a patient under oral therapy with vancomyci n, were resistant to high levels of vancomycin (MICs of >256 mu g/ml) and teicoplanin (MICs of 128 and 64 mu g/ml, respectively). This pheno type is new for these bacterial species that are naturally resistant t o low levels of vancomycin and appears to be due to in vivo acquisitio n of plasmid pIP218 carrying the vanA gene cluster.