This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of vancomycin-resistan
t enterococci (VRE) in the stools of hospitalized patients with possible an
tibiotic-associated diarrhoea. From 176 faecal samples collected during 199
7 and 1998, 66 strains of enterococci were recovered using vancomycin enric
hment techniques. Only six of these displayed reduced susceptibility to van
comycin (MIC 8-12 mg/L). All VRE were positive for the presence of the vanC
gene. Based on motility, pigment production and automated Gram-positive id
entification (GPI Vitek card), four of these six VRE isolates were identifi
ed as Enterococcus gallinarum. The remaining two isolates were non-motile a
nd therefore were considered to be Enterococcus faecium. However, 16S rDNA
sequence analysis and positive methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside tests indicat
ed that they were non-motile species of E. gallinarum. This is consistent w
ith the intrinsic, low-level vanC-1-mediated resistance associated with thi
s species. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis comparisons between th
e VRE indicated genetic relatedness between some strains. This work confirm
s that vancomycin-resistant E. faecium and Enterococcus faecalis are rare i
n New Zealand.