Low prevalence of VRE gastrointestinal colonization: RESULTS
The number of stool specimens evaluated in the first two weeks of each eight week period between January 1 and December 31,1997 ranged from 187 to 265. A total of 1408 stool specimens were tested. Sixty-seven of the 1408 (4.8%) hospitalized patients evaluated had VRE colonization of their lower GIT. Three of the 67 (4.5%) VRE identified were E faecium, while the remaining 64 isolates (95.5%) were Enterococcus gallinarum. Three of 1408 (0.2%) patients hospitalized in Manitoba, who had a stool specimen submitted for C difficile testing during the study period, were colonized with VREF. One isolate of VREF was identified at the Misericordia General Hospital, a Winnipeg community hospital, between April 23 and May 7, 1997. The two remaining isolates of VREF were identified between June 18 and July 2, 1997 at the Health Sciences Centre, a Winnipeg tertiary care hospital.










