vancomycin-resistant enterococcus

noun

: any of several enterococci (such as Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium) that are resistant to vancomycin and other commonly used antibiotics (such as cephalosporin and tetracycline) and are typically benign colonizers of the gastrointestinal tract and female genital tract but may cause severe infections (as of the urinary tract or bloodstream) especially in hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems and in individuals who are on long-term regimens of antibiotics

Note: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci are usually spread by direct contact with contaminated hands, surfaces, or medical equipment.

abbreviation VRE

Examples of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But some enterococcus strains have evolved into a virulent form, called vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, or VRE, that affects more than 540,000 Americans every year. Wired, 9 Dec. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus was in 1988

Dictionary Entries Near vancomycin-resistant enterococcus

vancomycin

vancomycin-resistant enterococcus

vancourier

Cite this Entry

“Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vancomycin-resistant%20enterococcus. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

vancomycin-resistant enterococcus

noun
: any of several bacteria of the genus Enterococcus (as E. faecalis and E. faecium) that are resistant to vancomycin and other commonly used antibiotics (as cephalosporin, trimethoprim, and tetracycline) and that are typically benign colonizers of the gastrointestinal tract and female genital tract but may cause severe infections (as of the urinary tract, bloodstream, or surgical wounds) especially in hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems and in individuals who are on long-term regimens of antibiotics

Note: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci are usually spread by direct contact with contaminated hands (as of a caregiver or heath-care worker), or contaminated surfaces or medical equipment.

abbreviation VRE
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