The first isolate of VRE in Australia occurred in 1994. Only one case was noted in 1995. Since March 1996 there has been a steady increase in the number of reports of VRE throughout the country. To August 1998 there have been 69 documented strains or clusters of strains detected in patients with documented infection, and about 3 times as many strains have been detected through screening procedures of contacts or in risk groups.
All strains appear to have arisen locally except for one strain imported from the United Kingdom.
Furthermore there was no direct evidence of interhospital transfer of strains. All clinical strains were examined by PCR to confirm species and to test for the presence of known vancomycin-resistance genes. 3 were vanA E. faecalis. Isolates containing vanA always had different profiles from those containing vanB . Clinical clustering was confirmed by PFGE, and supported by extended antibiogram.