Effects of environmental disinfection on the isolation of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus after a hospital-associated outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome

•Rooms of patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) were disinfected.•Environmental disinfection was performed after the 2015 Korean MERS outbreak.•Sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide vapor were used.•Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus significantly decreased for 2 months.•Other multidrug-resistant organisms did not decrease. Environmental disinfection with sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide vapor was performed after a hospital-associated outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome. Although only 11% of total beds were disinfected, the isolation and vancomycin-resistance rates of Enterococcus spp significantly decreased for 2 months, whereas other multidrug-resistant organisms did not.