By understanding the epidemiology and population biology of a significant and high-priority pathogen, Enteroccocus faecium (E. faecium) in Irish hospitals, researchers are providing the evidence base for more effective surveillance, and infection and prevention control strategies aimed at minimizing the spread of the antibiotic resistant bacteria.
By understanding the epidemiology and population biology of a significant and high-priority pathogen, Enteroccocus faecium (E. faecium) in Irish hospitals, researchers from Trinity College and colleagues are, for the first time, providing the evidence base for more effective surveillance, and infection and prevention control strategies aimed at minimising the spread of the antibiotic resistant bacteria (Thursday, 18th November 2021).
The study has been published in the international Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and funded by the Health Research Board (HRB).
Enteroccocus faecium (E. faecium) has been described by the World Health Organisation as a high priority pathogen in urgent need of drug research and development. E. faecium is intrinsically resistant to a range of commonly used antibiotics and treatment options are limited. Vancomycin is one of the few antibiotics that is effective for treatment, however the incidence of vancomycin resistance is rising worldwide including in Ireland, further limiting treatment options.
Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control revealed that for over a decade, the Republic of Ireland has reported one of the highest rates of vancomycin resistance among invasive E. faecium infections in Europe.
Vancomycin resistant E. faecium (VREfm) bacteria have become a significant cause of infection in hospitals worldwide, particularly in vulnerable and immunocompromised individuals. Many studies of VREfm have been reported from other countries globally, but this investigation marks the first such study from Ireland.
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