Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE)

VRE stands for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Vancomycin is an antibiotic used to treat infections. Enterococcus is a common bacterium that is normally found in the lower intestine. Sometimes people become infected with this bacterium and require treatment. Only a few antibiotics can effectively treat enterococcal infections, and one of them is vancomycin. If the enterococcus bacterium develops resistance to vancomycin, the antibiotic will not be able to destroy the bacteria. There are other antibiotics that will treat VRE infections, however.

VRE is usually spread on the hands of caregivers who have come in direct contact with an infected person. Excretions and feces are the most likely sources of contamination. Without proper cleaning with disinfectants, VRE can survive for long periods on bathroom and hospital room surfaces. Thorough hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer is the best prevention against the spread of infection.

For more information on VRE, please see the Province of Ontario fact sheet.

The Heart Institute's VRE infection rates are available here (pdf).