VRE infection: vancomycin-resistant enterococci explained
A patient-friendly guide to VRE infection: what vancomycin-resistant enterococci are, how VRE spreads, how it is treated, and how to stay safe.
What is a VRE infection?
What vancomycin-resistant enterococci are, and how VRE infection differs from simply carrying the bacteria.
Learn moreWhy VRE matters
Why resistance to vancomycin makes these infections harder to treat than ordinary enterococci.
Learn moreHow VRE spreads
Who is most at risk, and how VRE passes between people in hospitals and care homes.
Learn moreVRE infection at a glance
- Enterococci are common gut bacteria. Most of the time they are harmless, but they can cause serious infections in vulnerable people.
- VRE means the bacteria resist vancomycin. When that mainstay antibiotic stops working, treatment options shrink.
- Carrying VRE is not the same as a VRE infection. Many people carry the bacteria in the bowel and never become ill.
- VRE spreads by contact, not through the air. Hand hygiene, careful antibiotic use, and hospital precautions are the best defenses.