VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS ATTENDING AL-KHUMS TEACHING HOSPITAL, AL-KHUMS, LIBYA

Vancomycin resistant enterococci have become a major concern worldwide. The aim of this study is to isolate andidentify enterococcal species from different clinical specimens as well as to determine the susceptibility pattern ofthese isolates to vancomycin. The present study was carried out in two hundred (72 males and 128 females) patientswho attended different clinical wards at Al-Khums teaching Hospital, Al-Khums, Libya, during May 2011 to November 2012. All isolated enterococcal species were identified using gram staining and biochemical tests using API20E system. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was also performed. The overall enterococcal infection rate was31.5% of the total specimen examined. It was found that out of 37 wound specimens only 5 (13.5%) showed enterococcal infection. The results indicate that the isolation rates of enterococcal isolates are usually more or less equallydistributed among both male and female patients concerning throat swabs, sputum and wound specimens. However,the isolation rates of enterococcal isolates from urine specimens were higher in case of female patients (20.5 %)compared with that (6.5%) of male patients. Three different enterococcal species(Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus avium) were identified. Antibiotic susceptibility results indicated that 6 isolates of E.faecalis, one isolate of E. ovium were resistant to vancomycin and no isolates with vancomycin resistant in E. faecium.