The Prevalence of Fecal Colonization With VRE Among Residents of Long-Term–Care Facilities in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract
A point-prevalence survey performed among residents of eight nursing homes in Melbourne, Australia, found a rate of fecal VRE colonization of 3.1% (9/292; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.1), allvanBEnterococcusfaecium.This is a higher rate than in the general community (3.1% vs 0.2%). Many residents (16%) had been inpatients in acute-care hospitals in the previous 3 months.