Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Definition
Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) is a group of bacterial species of the genus Enterococcus, which is resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin. The aid bacteria are enteric and can be found in the digestive and urinary tracts of some humans. Even healthy people can carry VRE if they have been exposed to the bacteria. Hospitals are the most likely places whewre such contacts can occur although it is thought that a significant percentage of intensively-farmed chicken can also carry VRE.