Overview
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are strains of enterococci bacteria that have developed a resistance to the antibiotic, vancomycin. This resistance is caused by genetic mutations and can transfer from one strain to another. As many enterococci are naturally found in humans, VRE poses a significant threat to human health, as it can lead to serious skin, urinary tract and other infections, that are difficult to treat. VRE has been found in many countries and is a growing concern for hospitals, with infection control and prevention practices such as good hand washing and isolation of infected patients being important for limiting transmission of VRE. Several other drugs in combination with vancomycin have been effective in treating VRE infections, and research into more effective drugs is ongoing.