In recent years, there is a growing concern for antibiotic resistance of food-related enterococci. This study aims to provide data for occurrence and antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus spp. ...isolated from Colonia cheese. The results showed that Enterococcus spp. were found in two thirds of the cheese samples (47 out of 70), of which 72% were identified as E. faecalis, 16% as E. faecium, 6% as E. mundtii, 4% as E. hirae and 2% as E. durans. The antimicrobial suceptibility showed that almost all Enterococcus spp. were sensible to ampicillin and gentamicin. The highest incidence of resistance was displayed against erythromycin, tetracycline, rifampicin and fosfomycin. E. faecalis isolates presented high percentages of resistance to high level streptomycin. The multiple antibiotic resistance index was elevated in half of the Enterococcus spp., reaching values as high as 0,8, indicating a potential risk for public health. In this research, several Enterococcus isolates could be considered as multidrug-resistant, most of them belonging to E. faecalis. Results of present study raise concerns about possible role of cheese enterococci as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance.
Background: Enterococci are main normal microbial flora of both humans and animals and can survive in a diverse range of environments. These bacteria carry out aminoglycoside and vancomycin ...resistance genes and spread them in environment by many routs such as chicken meat products. The present study was aimed to determine the frequency of aminoglycoside and vancomycin resistant genes in Enterococcus species isolated from chicken meat specimens.
Methods: A total of 250 chicken raw meat specimens was prepared from slaughterhouses at Zanjan province, cultured at BHI broth and incubated at 37°C for 24h. The positive cultures were sub-cultured in blood agar plates and grown colonies identified using phenotypical and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards and PCR assays were performed to detect vanA, vanB, aph (2")1c, aph (2")1b, aph (2")1d, ant(3'), aph(3')IIIa, ant(4')1a, ant(6') and aac(6') genes.
Results: In total, 100 Enterococcus species isolated from 250 specimens and 35% of them belonged to E. faecalis and the others were E. faecium (65%). The prevalence of the vanA, vanB, aph (2")1c, aph (2")1b, aph (2")1d, ant(3'), aph(3')IIIa, ant(4')1a, ant(6') and aac(6') genes among the 100 Enterococcus species was 14%, 12%, 10%, 1%, 2%, 50%, 26%, 9%, 18% and 22%, respectively.
Conclusion: The current study revealed that the rate of antimicrobial resistance genes to aminoglycosides and vancomycin was worrying and health measurements in meat products industries must be performed to prevent spread of antimicrobial resistance elements among bacteria.
Introdução/Objetivo: Enterococcus estão normalmente associados a infecções relacionadas à assistência à saúde, geralmente apresentando perfil de multidroga resistência. Esse estudo objetivou comparar ...a resistência antimicrobiana de amostras VRE (Enterococcus resistentes à vancomicina) oriundas de swab retal com o perfil de amostras de Enterococcus sensíveis à vancomicina, isoladas de materiais clínicos diversos, coletados de dezembro de 2021 a junho de 2022, de pacientes atendidos em um Hospital Universitário. Métodos: Amostras identificadas como Enterococcus pelo método automatizado foram selecionadas, e confirmadas quanto à espécie por MALDI-TOF MS. O perfil de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos foi determinado pelo método de disco-difusão. A concentração mínima inibitória (CMI) para vancomicina foi determinada pelo método de microdiluição em caldo para amostras VRE e a presença do gene vanA foi observada pela técnica da reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para todas as amostras. Resultados: Um total de 59 amostras foram identificadas, sendo 31 de colonização anal (VRE) e 28 de materiais clínicos diversos. Dentre as VRE, 55% foram caracterizadas como E. faecalis (VREfa) e 45% como E. faecium (VREfm). Já entre as amostras de origem infecciosa, 89% eram da espécie E. faecalis e 11% E. faecium. Entre E. faecalis (n = 41), amostras VREfa apresentaram maiores taxas de resistência à cloranfenicol, eritromicina, quinolonas e vancomicina (p-valor < 0,05), enquanto para amostras de E. faecium (n = 18), a diferença na taxa de resistência foi significativa apenas para glicopeptídeos (amostras VREfm). Contudo, independentemente da resistência à glicopeptídeos, as amostras de E. faecium apresentaram maiores taxa de resistência à ampicilina, nitrofurantoína, quinolonas, rifampicina e tetraciclina (p-valor <0,05). A maioria (>90%) das amostras VRE, independente da espécie bacteriana, apresentou CMI > 64 µg/mL para vancomicina, sendo todas vanA positivas. Conclusão: Apesar de observado uma alta taxa de resistência à quinolonas entre amostras VREfa, ao compararmos as duas espécies, independente da resistência à vancomicina, cepas E. faecium apresentaram maiores taxa de resistência aos antimicrobianos, de maneira geral. Nossos resultados contribuem para elucidar os aspectos da emergência e disseminação de microrganismos multirresistentes, ressaltando a importância da vigilância epidemiológica de Enterococcus, especialmente aqueles caracterizados como VRE.
The aim of this study was to report a condition of recurrent multifactorial sperm agglutination in a Brahman bull. Through microscopic, microbiological studies and an image obtained by ultrasound, ...the animal was diagnosed with unilateral vesiculitis. After antibiotic treatment, the recovery rate was approximately 90%.
El objetivo de este estudio fue informar una condición de aglutinación de esperma multifactorial recurrente en un toro Brahman. Mediante estudios microscópicos, microbiológicos y una imagen obtenida por ultrasonido, se diagnosticó al animal de vesiculitis unilateral. Después del tratamiento con antibióticos, la tasa de recuperación fue aproximadamente del 90%.
O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar uma condição de aglutinação espermática multifatorial recorrente em um touro da raça Brahman. Mediante estudos microscópicos, microbiológicos e imagem obtida pela ultrassonografia, o animal foi diagnosticado com vesiculite unilateral. Após tratamento com antibiótico a taxa de recuperação foi aproximadamente 90%.
Introdução: A endocardite infecciosa (EI) continua sendo uma infecção devastadora a despeito de todo progresso em seu diagnóstico e tratamento. Objetivo: Descrição clínica dos pacientes com EI ...internados em um hospital universitário (HU). Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo de uma série prospectiva de 639 pacientes, admitidos em um HU entre os anos de 1978 e 2021, diagnosticados com EI, classificados como casos definitivos ou possíveis de acordo com os critérios de Duke modificados. Resultados: Foram diagnosticados 708 episódios de EI dentre os 639 pacientes. Desses, 500 foram classificados como definitivos e 208 como possíveis. A idade dos indivíduos variou entre 18 e 93 anos, com a média de 45,5 ± 17,5. Nota-se uma tendência de envelhecimento da população estudada ao longo dos anos - entre 1978 e 1999, média 41,3 ± 16,6 anos e entre 2000 e 2021 de 51,7 ± 17 (p < 0,001). Em 251 (35,5%) dos episódios os pacientes apresentavam comorbidades, sendo as mais comuns doença renal crônica em hemodiálise e diabetes mellitus em 75 (10,6%) e 67 (9,5%) indivíduos respectivamente. Na maior parte dos episódios (412 (58,2%)), os pacientes apresentavam alguma condição cardíaca predisponente ao desenvolvimento de EI. Em 154 (21,8%) desses episódios o paciente era portador de prótese valvar. A principal válvula cardíaca acometida pela EI foi a válvula mitral nativa de forma isolada, em 190 (26,8%) casos. Em seguida, a válvula aórtica nativa de forma isolada - 152 (21,5%) casos, próteses valvares - 118 (16,7%), válvula tricúspide isolada - 66 (9,3%) e o comprometimento combinado de válvula mitral e aórtica em 55 (7,8%) episódios. Dos 416 (58,8%) episódios em que as hemoculturas foram positivas, os microrganismos mais frequentemente isolados foram Staphylococcus aureus (122 (29,3%)), Streptococcus do grupo viridans (99 (23,8%)) e Enterococcus spp. (43 (10.3%)). Em 260 casos (36,7%) não houve detecção/isolamento do microorganismo causador. A maior parte dos episódios foram adquiridos na comunidade 482 (68,1%). Em 230 (32,5%) dos episódios o paciente foi submetido à troca valvar. Em 35,5% dos episódios os pacientes evoluíram para o óbito. Quando analisou-se o desfecho fatal relacionando com o período em que o paciente foi internado, observou-se um aumento significativo dos óbitos nas duas últimas décadas (p = 0,02). Conclusão: A EI é uma infecção grave cuja mortalidade está aumentando. Tal desfecho pode estar associado ao envelhecimento dos pacientes e maior prevalência de comorbidade
The poultry industry is among the main protein suppliers worldwide. Thus, this study determined the antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of Enterococcus spp. along the farm-to-fork production ...chain of an intensive poultry system in the uMgungundlovu District, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Overall, 162 samples along the continuum (growth phase, transport and post-slaughter) were evaluated for the presence of Enterococcus spp. using selective media, biochemical tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Resistance profiles were assessed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following the WHO-AGISAR recommended antibiotics panel for Enterococcus spp. Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes were detected using real-time PCR. Clonal relatedness was evaluated by REP-PCR. Overall, 131 isolates were recovered across the continuum, (34% E. faecalis, 32% E. faecium, 2% E. gallinarum and 32% other Enterococcus spp.). Resistance to tetracycline (79%), erythromycin (70%), nitrofurantoin (18%), ampicillin (15%), streptomycin (15%), chloramphenicol (10%), ciprofloxacin (4%), tigecycline (4%), gentamicin (4%), teicoplanin (3%) was observed among all Enterococcus spp.; no vancomycin resistance (0%) was recorded. Also, 24% of E. faecium were resistant to quinupristin-dalfopristin. Twenty-four multidrug resistance (MDR) antibiograms were observed across all species; E. faecium (43%) showed the highest frequency of MDR. The most frequently observed antibiotic resistomes were tetM (76%) and ermB (66%) while smaller percentages were noted for aph(3′)-IIIa (12%) and vanC1 (1%). Virulence genes efaAFs (100%), cpd (96%) and gelE (80%) were more prevalent in E. faecalis. Clonality revealed that isolates along the continuum were highly diverse with major REP-types consisting of isolates from the same sampling point. This study highlights the diversity of MDR Enterococcus in the food chain with isolates harbouring resistance and virulence genes. These could be reservoirs for the potential transfer of pathogenic enterococci carrying these genes from poultry to humans through the food chain continuum, thus, underscoring the need for routine antibiotic resistance surveillance in food animals.
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•The poultry food production continuum is a reservoir of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp.•High prevalence of resistance to antibiotics used as growth-promotors was observed.•The tetM and ermB antibiotic resistance genes were most commonly detected.•The adhesin virulence factor, efaAFm, was predominant among isolates.•There was high genetic diversity among isolates along the farm-to-fork continuum.
Enterococci have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens and have been found to possess many virulence factors, some of which are considered very important in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by ...them. While clinical Enterococcus strains have been extensively described in the literature, the knowledge of the virulence factors and the genetic structure of enterococci found in food is limited. In addition, enterococci are intrinsically resistant to several antimicrobial agents and they can easily acquire resistance to antimicrobials. High-level resistance to a wide range of antibiotics together with the presence of virulence factors reinforces the potential role of enterococci as effective opportunists in nosocomial infections. Although foodborne enterococcal infections have never been reported, the consumption of food carrying virulence enterococci is a possible route of transfer. This review was carried out to characterise of some virulence factors which most often occur in Enterococcus strains isolated from food including ready-to-eat food.
•This review aims at discussing virulence factors and genetic structure of enterococci found in food.•Enterococcus strains isolated from food and ready-to-eat food have virulence factors typical for nosocomial pathogens.•Food can be a potential vehicle transferring virulent enterococci to human microflora in the food chain.
•optrA-positive and linezolid-resistant Enterococcus spp. are on the rise.•Multiple variants of the optrA gene exist.•optrA was detected in various plasmid backgrounds and the bacterial ...chromosome.•optrA is easily transferred to other pathogenic bacteria.
The number of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus spp. isolates received by the National Reference Centre for Staphylococci and Enterococci in Germany has been increasing since 2011. Although the majority are E. faecium, clinical linezolid-resistant E. faecalis have also been isolated. With respect to the newly discovered linezolid resistance protein OptrA, the authors conducted a retrospective polymerase chain reaction screening of 698 linezolid-resistant enterococcus clinical isolates. That yielded 43 optrA-positive strains, of which a subset was analysed by whole-genome sequencing in order to infer linezolid resistance-associated mechanisms and phylogenetic relatedness, and to disclose optrA genetic environments. Multiple optrA variants were detected. The originally described variant from China (optrAWT) was the only variant shared between the two Enterococcus spp.; however, distinct optrAWT loci were detected for E. faecium and E. faecalis. Generally, optrA localized to a plethora of genetic backgrounds that differed even for identical optrA variants. This suggests transmission of a mobile genetic element harbouring the resistance locus. Additionally, identical optrA variants detected on presumably identical plasmids, that were present in unrelated strains, indicates dissemination of the entire optrA-containing plasmid. In accordance, in vitro conjugation experiments verified transfer of optrA plasmids between enterococci of the same and of different species. In conclusion, multiple optrA variants located on distinct plasmids and mobile genetic elements with the potential for conjugative transfer are supposedly causative for the emergence of optrA-positive enterococci. Hence, rapid dissemination of the resistance determinant under selective pressure imposed by extensive use of last-resort antibiotics in clinical settings could be expected.
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