Open AccessFirst Report of the Local Spread of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Ascribed to the Interspecies Transmission of a vanA Gene Cluster-Carrying Linear Plasmid
Author(s) -
Yusuke Hashimoto,
Izumi Kita,
Masato Suzuki,
Hidetada Hirakawa,
Hirofumi Ohtaki,
Haruyoshi Tomita
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
msphere
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.749
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2379-5042
DOI - 10.1128/msphere.00102-20
Subject(s) - plasmid , outbreak , enterococcus , horizontal gene transfer , vancomycin , biology , vancomycin resistant enterococci , microbiology and biotechnology , transmission (telecommunications) , multiple drug resistance , cluster (spacecraft) , antibiotic resistance , gene , drug resistance , genetics , virology , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , antibiotics , phylogenetics , electrical engineering , engineering , computer science , programming language
Increasing multidrug resistance, including vancomycin resistance, in enterococci is a major concern in clinical settings. Horizontal gene transfer, such as via plasmids, has been shown to play a crucial role in the acquisition of vancomycin resistance. Among vancomycin resistance types, the VanA type is one of the most prevalent, and outbreaks caused by VanA-type vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have occurred worldwide. Here, we describe an enterococcal linear plasmid responsible for multispecies local spread of VanA-type VRE. Such a study is important because although hospital outbreaks caused by mixed enterococcal species have been reported, this particular spread indicates plasmid transfer across species. This is a crucial finding because the high risk for such a spread of antimicrobial resistance calls for regular monitoring and surveillance.