Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) first appeared in Europe during the 1980s. It rapidly spread to North America by the 1990s.
Susceptibility:
More than 50% of E. faecium in the United States are VRE.
E. faecalis tends to be susceptible to vancomycin.
Most frequent form of VRE infection: UTI, followed by catheter line associated bacteremia (i.e hemodialysis, central lines).
Treatment for VRE: daptomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline. Susceptible strains may be treated with ampicillin.
REFERENCES:
- Principles and Practice of Hospital Medicine, 2e. Chapter 185: Antibiotic Resistance. L. Silvia Munoz-Price.