Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from hospitalized patients: Molecular characterization of the van B gene

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are widespread bacteria that emerged as major multi-resistant pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections, current study aimed to determine the molecular characterization of vanB genes among Sudanese hospitalized patients. A total of 107 samples were collected from hospitalized patients, Enterococcus species were isolated and identified using colonial morphology, Gram stain, and biochemical tests in conformity with standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobials susceptibility of enterococci was tested to 8 antibiotics based on the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar. Resistance to the vancomycin (van B) gene was molecularly identified among vancomycin-resistant isolates using the conventions PCR method. Seventy-one (66.4%) of patients were colonized with enterococci, where 38.4% were diagnosed as Enterococcus faecalis while 28 % of patients were infected with Enterococcus faecium. Resistant of E. faecalis. to other anti-microbial includes (68.3%) to ampicillin, (87.8%) ciprofloxacin, (70.7%) to penicillin is resistant among, and (56.6%) to ampicillin, (53.3%) to ciprofloxacin, (80%) to penicillin, and 70 % to Penicillin is resistant among E. faecium, among whole isolated Enterococci 39 (54.9%) were VRE, Majority of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) 33 (84.6%) were multi-drug resistant to ciprofloxacin, penicillin, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol. PCR analysis of VRE samples showed that 12 (16.9%) enterococci isolates had the van B gene. The prevalence of VRE was significantly documented with a relative increase in the frequency of the van B gene which plays a crucial role in nosocomial infections, as a consequence, antibiotic resistance in enterococci to glycopeptide antibiotics is regarded as a threat to nosocomial infections.