Final answer:
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are bacterial strains that have developed resistance to vancomycin, a critical antibiotic used for treating resistant infections. Prompt detection and treatment with alternative antibiotics, like oxazolidinones, are essential to manage these superbugs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are types of bacteria that have become resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, which is often used to treat serious infections when other antibiotics have failed.
VRE is a concerning clinical issue as it contributes to the problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, like MRSA (methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA). The resistance in these bacteria is a result of target modifications within the cell, specifically alterations to the peptidoglycan subunits in the bacterial cell wall which prevent vancomycin from binding effectively.
The increased use of vancomycin during the rise of antibiotic resistance in the 1970s and 1980s led to the emergence of VRE. These bacterial strains are typically spread in healthcare settings through contact with healthcare workers or contaminated surfaces and equipment.
However, they differ from other strains such as vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and VRSA in both the mechanism of resistance and the level of resistance.
VISA shows intermediate resistance due to an accumulation of vancomycin targets that trap the antibiotic on the cell wall, while VRSA acquires resistance through horizontal gene transfer from VRE, showing a higher resistance level.
Rapid detection and identification of these bacteria in clinical settings is critical to prevent their spread, and treatments include other types of antibiotics, such as oxazolidinones, which remain effective against these resistant strains.