VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI - HIGH PREVALENCE IN A YOUNG AMBULATORY POPULATION IN FRANCE

OBJECTIVE: Assess the prevalence of asymptomatic carriage of vancomyci n-resistant Enterococci in a population of healthy young French subjec ts. METHODS: Stool samples obtained from 100 persons living in southea stern France (20 sampling sites) were directly seeded on enriched sele ctive media containing 6 mg/l vancomycin. Bacterial species and their resistant gene were identified with classical methods and multiplex ge nomic amplification. RESULTS: The incidence of asymptomatic carriage w as 17% with a homogeneous geographic distribution of the resistant str ains. Nine Enterococcus faecium van A strains and 8 E, gallinarum van C1 strains were isolated. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate carri age of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci in a population of young ambul atory subjects in France. The incidence observed was much higher than in an earlier study conducted in France. These results might be explai ned by a much more sensitive detection technique. Care should be taken to avoid dissemination in hospital settings.