May 20, 2013
The Question
Recent reports have shown the frequency of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) is higher in Michigan. Do these findings hold up in national data over the 1999-2010 period?
What we found
The proportion of VRE isolates from 1999 to 2010 in the East North Central region do not increase over time, but remain over twice as high compared with the national average.
Why it matters
Most cases of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus, a very serious notifiable resistant pathogen, were reported from Michigan, a state in the EN Central region. Because genetic transfer of resistance elements across species is possible, our findings underscore the importance of monitoring trends in vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis.
