Prevalence of glycopeptide and aminoglycoside resistance in Enterococcus and Listeria spp. in low microbial load diets of neutropenic hospital patients

Low microbial load diets for patients with haematological malignancy were e xamined for enterococci and listeria using pre-enrichment, enrichment and s elective plating. Enterococci were highly prevalent and their ecology diver se; 100/211 samples yielded 132 isolates made up of 67 strains distinguisha ble by PFGE, Listeria monocytogenes was not found. Screening of enterococci for antibiotic resistance showed low level vancomycin resistance (6-12 mug /ml) in six isolates of E. gallinarum and high level streptomycin resistanc e (greater than or equal to 1000 mug/ml) in eight isolates from various foo ds. No strains showing high level glycopeptide or gentamicin resistance wer e found. The high prevalence of enterococci in food processed for safety in dicates a possible route for the acquisition of antibiotic-resistant strain s by vulnerable hospital patients. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.