VRE Network Baden-Württemberg

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Nico Mutters
• Subject Area: Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Hygiene, Molecular Infection Biology
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 423770666

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) are one of pathogens causing nosocomial infections which are in the focus of infection control due to their multidrug-resistance. Patients colonized or infected with VRE are therefore usually subject to extensive infection control measures beyond basic measures, which results in financial and clinical burden. The evidence for these control measures is, however, low and subject to ongoing discussions. Especially in the state of Baden-Württemberg the highest increase in incidence rates of whole Germany has been detected. Urgently needed spatial-temporal analyses of VRE in the healthcare networks are missing. In the course of the two-step joint project VRE network Baden-Württemberg, which includes the four university hospitals as well as regional healthcare providers and community hopsitals, we intend to undertake such analyses to create evidence for informed decision making for both individual healthcare centers and state administration. Infection control interventions need to be evaluated and critically appraised and risk factors need to be analysed to understand the VRE epidemic in Southern Germany and hopefully in all of Germany.During the first phase of the project a scientific network will be created. The goals of the VRE network Baden-Württemberg are: (1) assess and analyze epidemiological indicators and patient transferal data in the regional healthcare networks including all universities hospitals related to VRE, (2) systematic literature review assessing the relevance of VRE as infectious agent including pathogenicity, transmissibility, importance and duration of colonization and risk factors for VRE infection, (3) standardization of infection control measures within Baden-Württemberg and closer collaboration between network partners. The network will lay down the foundation to foster scientific exchange between members, the development of best-practice-recommendations for infection control and transferal patterns to further strengthen the policy to stop the VRE epidemic. Furthermore, the network aims to prepare scientific research proposals to analyze the VRE transmission with whole-genome analysis.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks