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Application of Molecular Techniques to the Study of Nosocomial Infections Caused by Enterococci

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Molecular Bacteriology

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Medicine™ ((MIMM,volume 15))

Abstract

Enterococci are components of the normal bowel flora of humans and other animals, and have traditionally been considered to be of relatively low virulence in healthy individuals. However, they are increasingly important nosocomial pathogens and have been cited as the leading organism isolated from hospital-acquired infections, and the third leading cause of nosocomial bacteremia in the United States in a recent National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) system report of the Centers for Disease Control (1). The increase in enterococcal infections has been associated with the emergence of resistance to multiple antibiotics, in particular resistance to B-lactams, high-level aminoglycoside resistance, and resistance to glycopeptides. Concern that antibiotic resistance will continue to spread and will increasingly render conventional antimicrobial chemotherapy inadequate for serious enterococcal infections has stimulated interest in methods to improve the diagnosis and epi-demiologic investigation of infections caused by enterococci

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Univeron, UK

    Teresa M. Coque

  2. Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary’s University Hospital, London, UK

    Prema Seetulsingh

  3. Center for the Study of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX

    Kavindra V. Singh & Barbara E. Murray

Authors
  1. Teresa M. Coque
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  2. Prema Seetulsingh
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  3. Kavindra V. Singh
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  4. Barbara E. Murray
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Central Public Health Laboratory, London, UK

    Neil Woodford  & Alan P. Johnson  & 

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Coque, T.M., Seetulsingh, P., Singh, K.V., Murray, B.E. (1998). Application of Molecular Techniques to the Study of Nosocomial Infections Caused by Enterococci. In: Woodford, N., Johnson, A.P. (eds) Molecular Bacteriology. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 15. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-498-4:469

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-498-4:469

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-498-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-599-0

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