Detection of tetracycline and macrolide resistance determinants in Enterococci of animal and environmental origin...

An occurrence of resistance to tetracycline (TET) and erythromycin (ERY) was ascertained in 82 isolates of Enterococcus spp. of animal and environmental origin. Using E test, 33 isolates were resistant to TET and three isolates to ERY. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR; single and multiplex), the TET determinants tet(M) and tet(L) were detected in 35 and 13 isolates, respectively. Twelve isolates carried both tet(M) and tet(L) genes. Eight isolates possessed ermB gene associated with ERY resistance. Multiplex PCR was shown to be a suitable method for simultaneous determination of all three resistance determinants that occurred most frequently in bacteria isolated from poultry. This study also demonstrates that gastrointestinal tract of broilers may be a reservoir of enterococci with acquired resistance to both TET and ERY that can be transferred to humans via food chain.