Apparent Increased Prevalence of High-Level Aminoglycoside-Resistant Enterococcus durans Resulting from False Identification by a Semiautomated Software System

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Abstract
Identification of enterococci by using a semiautomated system (PASCO; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) in the AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, revealed a high proportion of Enterococcus durans , particularly among isolates highly resistant to gentamicin and streptomycin. When 14 isolates were further tested by a conventional biochemical scheme and by PCR, all were reidentified as Enterococcus faecalis . Antibiotic resistance and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns showed that unrelated strains were misidentified.