Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients who are hospitalized or have weakened immune systems.Efforts to control the spread of VRE have focused on limiting transmission in hospitals, but the amount of transmission in hospitals versus independent acquisition has not been well characterized. Together with Drs. David Hooper and Erica Shenoy at Massachusetts General Hospital Infection Control Unit, Ashlee Earl at the Broad Institute, and Michael Gilmore at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute, we are using genomics and modeling tools to evaluate hospital VRE transmission and work towards improving strategies to slow VRE spread.
