Definition of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus
:any of several enterococci (such as Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium) that are resistant to vancomycin and other commonly used antibiotics (such as cephalosporin and tetracycline) and are typically benign colonizers of the gastrointestinal tract and female genital tract but may cause severe infections (as of the urinary tract or bloodstream) especially in hospitalized patients with weakened immune systems and in individuals who are on long-term regimens of antibiotics
Note:
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci are usually spread by direct contact with contaminated hands, surfaces, or medical equipment.
—abbreviation VRE 
