Abstract
Cross-contamination with laboratory control strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis was documented in 15 clinical specimens from nine clinical microbiology laboratories in Ontario, Canada. Laboratories should be alert to the possibility of contamination of specimens with vancomycin-resistant enterococci from the laboratory environment. Molecular typing of strains may assist in elucidating the source of such contamination.
MeSH terms
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DNA, Bacterial / genetics
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DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
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Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
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Enterococcus faecalis / classification
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Enterococcus faecalis / drug effects*
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Enterococcus faecalis / genetics
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Enterococcus faecalis / isolation & purification*
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Enterococcus faecium / classification
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Enterococcus faecium / drug effects
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Enterococcus faecium / genetics
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Enterococcus faecium / isolation & purification
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Environmental Microbiology
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Equipment Contamination*
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Genotype
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Humans
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Laboratories / standards*
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Ontario
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Quality Control
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Vancomycin Resistance / genetics