الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Enterococci are opportunistic bacteria that become pathogenic when they colonize niches where they are not normally found.
Recently, they have become a major cause of nosocomial infections.
This has been attributed, among other factors, to their broad natural
and acquired resistance to antimicrobial agents, including glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin). The rapid increase of vancomycin resistance compromises physicians’ ability to treat infections caused by these strains because the therapeutic options for
VRE infections are very limited. enterococci have become major reservoir of antibiotic‐resistant genes and VRE a major cause of nosocomial infections especially of the bloodstream, urinary tract and surgical sites.
This study was performed at Menoufia University Hospital to estimate the extent of spread of nosocomial enterococcal infection as well as colonization at Menoufia University Hospital and to determine the susceptibility pattern of isolated enterococci against glycopeptides and other antimicrobials with detection of the prevalent phenotypes among vancomycin- resistant enterococci. It aimed also to identify VRE resistant genotypes by multiplex PCR and studying the possible relationship between these genotypes and the variable infections encountered, also genotype–phenotype correlations. Finally to detect esp virulence genes in the enterococcal isolates obtained from different sources.