Biagio Santella - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Veronica Folliero - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Maria Teresa Della Rocca - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Carla Zannella - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Danilo Pignataro - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Giuseppe Greco - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Fortunato Montella - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Antonio Folgore - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Marilena Galdiero - Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Massimiliano Galdiero - Università degli studi studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Gianluigi Franci - Università degli Studi di Salerno - Dipartimento di Medicina, Chirurgia e Odontoiatria

In the last decade Enterococcus spp. has become one of the most important nosocomial pathogens. The prevalence of multi-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis responsible for hospital-acquired infections is associated with their ability to acquire and share antimicrobial resistance genes contained in Mobile Genetic Elements (MGE). This study investigated the distribution of antibiotic resistance in Enterococcus spp. isolated from clinical patients in the University Hospital "Luigi Vanvitelli" of Naples, Italy. The aim of the present study was to monitor the antimicrobial drug resistance and spread of nosocomial infection, to allow the optimal choice of antibiotic therapy. From January ۲۰۱۷ to December ۲۰۱۸, ۳۵۱ Enterococcus spp. isolates were collected from different clinical samples, at the University Hospital “Luigi Vanvitelli”. Bacteria identification was made using MALDI-TOF technology (Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany). Susceptibility to ۹ antibiotics was tested using BD Phoenix (Becton, Dickinson and Company). Data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS v.۲۲.۰ (IBM SPSS Inc., New York, USA). Among the ۳۵۱ collected samples, ۸۸ (۲۵.۱%) were identified as Enterococcus faecium and ۲۶۳ (۷۴.۹%) were as Enterococcus faecalis. Enterococcus faecalis showed the highest resistance rate to Tetracycline (۷۳,۵%) and Erythromycin (۸۸,۶%) than the Enterococcus faecium. The Enterococcus faecium has showed increase in resistance rates against Ciprofloxacin and Imipenem. Persistent surveillance of antimicrobial patterns was essential to adopt the empirical treatment guideline to treat infection caused by Enterococcus spp.

Enterococcus, Drug resistance, Bacteria, Cross Infection, Antimicrobial Stewardship