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Combined antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus faecium isolated from chickens
Odile Petsaris1, Fabien Miszczak, Mireille Gicquel-Bruneau
1CHU de Caen, Service de Microbiologie, Avenue Côte de Nacre, 14033 Caen Cedex, France.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|May 5, 2005
Summary
Nineteen chicken E. faecium strains showed high resistance to vancomycin and gentamicin. These strains were also coresistant to other antibiotics, linked to specific resistance genes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Enterococcus faecium is a common bacterium found in poultry.
- Antibiotic resistance in E. faecium is a growing public health concern.
- Poultry can serve as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles of E. faecium strains from chicken caecum.
- To identify the genetic basis of multidrug resistance in these strains.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and identification of E. faecium from chicken caecum samples.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against various antibiotics.
- Detection of specific antibiotic resistance genes using molecular methods.
Main Results:
- Nineteen E. faecium strains exhibited high resistance to vancomycin and gentamicin.
- These strains were also coresistant to erythromycin, tetracyclines, streptogramins, and avilamycin.
- Multiple resistance genes including aac(6")-aph(2"), erm(B), emtA, mef(A), tet(L), tet(M), and vanA were identified in various combinations.
Conclusions:
- Chicken caecum harbors multidrug-resistant E. faecium strains.
- The presence of specific resistance genes explains the observed coresistance patterns.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring antibiotic resistance in food-producing animals.