Speciation and Drug Resistance of Enterococcal Species Isolated from Clinical Specimens: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: Enterococci has an innate ability to acquire, accumulate, and disseminate extrachromosomal elements encoding virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes. The increasing resistance to numerous antimicrobial drugs has considerably reduced the therapeutic choices for treating Enterococcal infections. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of different Enterococcal isolates. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over 18 months at Government Medical College Srinagar, Kashmir. A total of 455 non-duplicate Enterococcal isolates from hospitalized patients were analyzed. Species identification was performed using VITEK-2 compact system, and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method and MIC testing as per CLSI 2019 guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v27.0, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results: A majority of 455 Enterococcal isolates (48.4%) were identified as Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ) or Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) . Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) were identified in 34.6% of E. faecium and 6.4% of E. faecalis isolates. All VRE isolates had considerable resistance to vancomycin (MIC ≥ 64 µg/mL). Furthermore, 97.7% of VRE isolates were resistant to penicillin, while 83.1% were resistant to several beta-lactam antibiotics. A total of 77.5% of the isolates shown resistance to high-level gentamicin resistance. Conclusion: The high incidence of multidrug-resistant Enterococci poses a substantial barrier for therapeutic management, particularly in resource-limited settings. These findings emphasize the urgent need for robust antimicrobial stewardship programs and enhanced infection control measures to prevent the spread of resistant strains in healthcare settings.