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Recovery of High-Level Streptomycin-Resistant Enterococci From Hemodialysis Water and Dialysate in 85 Greek Renal Units

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Malamatenia Arvanitidou ,
Argiri Vayona ,
Alkis Pigadas  and
Athanassios Tsakris
Malamatenia Arvanitidou
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Argiri Vayona
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Alkis Pigadas
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Athanassios Tsakris*
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
*
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Abstract

In the 85 renal units of Greece, enterococci were recovered from 10 samples of tap water, 6 of treated hemodialysis water, and 21 of dialysate. Eleven isolates were Enterococcus faecium, and 8 were Enterococcus raffinosus; 6 other additional enterococcal species were found. Twenty-two strains exhibited high-level resistance to streptomycin, 16 were resistant to rifampicin, and one to erythromycin. In our hemodialysis units, treated water and dialysate raise concern regarding transfer to patients of uncommon enterococcal species exhibiting high-level streptomycin resistance.

Information

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 20 , Issue 10 , October 1999 , pp. 686 - 689
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

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