What are the types of vancomycin resistance in enterococci?
There are the two types of vancomycin resistance in enterococci. The first type is intrinsic resistance. Isolates of Enterococcus gallinarum and E. casseliflavus/E. flavescens demonstrate an inherent, low-level resistance to vancomycin. The second type of vancomycin resistance in enterococci is acquired resistance. Enterococci can become resistant to vancomycin by acquisition of genetic information from another organism. Most commonly, this resistance is seen in E. faecium and E. faecalis, but also has been recognized in E. raffinosus, E. avium, E. durans, and several other enterococcal species. Several genes, including vanA, vanB, vanC, vanD, and vanE, contribute to resistance to vancomycin in enterococci.
