Bacterial pathogens as causative agents of infection constitute an alarming concern in the
public health sector. In particular, bacteria with resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents …

After they were first identified in the mid-1980s, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
spread rapidly and became a major problem in many institutions both in Europe and the …

During the past two decades probiotic (health promoting) micro-organisms have been
increasingly included in various types of food products, especially in fermented milks …

A PCR assay that allows simultaneous detection of glycopeptide resistance genotypes and
identification to the species level of clinically relevant enterococci (Enterococcus faecium, E …

The first vancomycin-resistant clinical isolates of Enterococcus species were reported in
Europe in 1988. Similar strains were later detected in hospitals on the East Coast of the …

Probiotics are commonly defined as viable microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) that exhibit a
beneficial effect on the health of the host when they are ingested. They are used in foods …

Since their discovery, antimicrobial drugs have proved remarkably effective for the control of
bacterial infections. However, it was soon evident that bacterial pathogens were unlikely to …

The determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of a clinical isolate, especially with
increasing resistance, is often crucial for the optimal antimicrobial therapy of infected …

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) including plasmids and transposons are pivotal in the
dissemination and persistence of antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus faecalis and …

The cell wall of lactic acid bacteria has the typical Gram-positive structure made of a thick,
multilayered peptidoglycan sacculus decorated with proteins, teichoic acids and …