Professor Takeshi Murata, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University
Image credit: Chiba University
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is an opportunistic pathogen thatcan causes severe hospital-acquired bacterial infections like endocarditis and sepsis and has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics.1 Inpatients at risk for VRE infections include those who are immunocompromised; those who have taken vancomycin and other antibiotics over an extended period of time; patients who have had surgery; and patients who have medical devices including those with catheters.2
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), VRE caused an estimated 54,500 infections among hospitalized patients and 5,400 estimated deaths in the US in 2017.2 The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified twelve critical…