Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: A rising challenge to global health
Faiza Iqbal, Arya Alocious, Selin Chiriyankandath Joy, Elstin Anbu Raj, V Rajesh, Mazhuvancherry Kesavan Unnikrishnan, Douglas Steinke, Prashant Chandra
Abstract
IntroductionImproper antibiotic use triggers outbreaks of hospital-acquired VRE infections. Relevant studies were gathered from Scopus, and PubMed. Over two decades, prevalence of VRE in humans and animals grew from 0.05% to 99.0% globally and from 1.0% to 45.6% in India. Identifying VRE at the species level helps identify acquired/intrinsic resistance.Results and conclusionVRE infections, especially bloodstream infections, inflict significant mortality (60-70%-global; 23%-India) and economic burden ($539 million). Linezolid and daptomycin are frequently used without adequate clinical trial evidence. India lacks studies on prevalence, mortality and cost, which needs political will, public-private partnership, and prioritizing public health.