Michael Pontus, the hospital’s chief executive and president, said more than 10 patients tested positive as carriers of the bacteria late last year, a first for the hospital.

After increased efforts to isolate patients and sanitize surfaces that may have come into contact with the bacteria, he said the number of carriers had been reduced to “around five or so.”

Krell said carriers often didn’t show symptoms of VRE, but the danger was it could be passed on to someone susceptible to infection.

Full Article: ‘Superbug’ found in hospital patients

Enterococci are bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract (bowels) of most individuals and generally do not cause harm (this is termed “colonization”). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are strains of enterococci that are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin. If a person has an infection caused by VRE, such as a urinary tract infection or blood infection, it may be more difficult to treat.