Characterization of a Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) Isolate from a Dog with Mastitis: Further Evidence of a Clonal Lineage of VREF in New Zealand

Abstract

We report here on the characterization of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) isolated from a dog with mastitis. The isolate was positive for the vanA, ermB, and tet(M) genes, with vanA and ermB carried on the same transferable plasmid. Comparison of this isolate with VREF from poultry and human sources in New Zealand demonstrated identical SmaI macrorestriction patterns and Tn1546-like elements. This is further evidence of a clonal lineage of VREF in New Zealand.

Current Trends of Emergence and Spread of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

“…However, community carriage linked to a consumption of imported and contaminated food cannot be excluded. Studies performed in New Zealand described a www.intechopen.com supposed dissemination of vanA-type resistance among E. faecalis strains rather then E. faecium in a background of generally low level of vancomycin resistance (Manson et al, 2003a;Manson et al, 2003b). VRE epidemiology in other Australasian countries reflects a similar scenario as in Europe or Northern America with vanA-type resistance highly prevalent among E. faecium.…”

“…Exchange of resistant strains among different ecosystems is less probable due to the supposed ecovar association, especially among hospital-associated E. faecium strains (see chapter 5), although dissemination across host barriers of vancomycin-and multi-resistant enterococci was described anecdotally, especially for the less strongly host-adapted E. faecalis strains (Manson et al, 2003a;Manson et al, 2003b;Manson et al, 2004;Agerso et al, 2008;Larsen et al, 2010;Hammerum et al, 2010;Freitas et al, 2011a). Vancomycin resistance among enterococci most probably spreads via a dissemination of mobile genetic elements of variants of the vanA-type element Tn1546 mostly located on mobilizable or conjugative plasmids (Sletvold et al, 2007;Novais et al, 2008;Sletvold et al, 2008;Freitas et al, 2009;Rosvoll et al, 2009;Sletvold et al, 2010;Laverde Gomez et al, 2011;Werner et al, 2011b;Freitas et al, 2011b).…”

Human and Swine Hosts Share Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium CC17 and CC5 and Enterococcus faecalis CC2 Clonal Clusters Harboring Tn 1546 on Indistinguishable Plasmids

“…Strains from human-adapted clonal complexes (CCs) causing most enterococcal infections may eventually be recovered from farm and companion animals (e.g., E. faecium clonal complex 17 [CC17] and E. faecalis CC2), and strains from CCs commonly found among animals have also been isolated from humans (E. faecium CC5, E. faecalis sequence type 16 [ST16], or E. faecalis CC21) (4,9,13,14,28,53). Documented cases of animal-human VRE transmission frequently involve healthy humans in close interaction (farming or petting) with animals, but most of these studies do not provide molecular characterization of either clones or their subcellular genetic elements (1,3,10,17,26,28,31,33), despite the comprehensive epidemiological studies of Tn1546 (vanA) and Tn5382 (vanB) (8,24,38,52,54).…”

Köpek, Kedi ve İnsan Orijinli Enterococcus feacium İzolatlarının Biofilm Üretimi, Genotip ve Antibiyotik Direnç Profillerinin Belirlenmesi

“…Antibiotic-resistant E. faecium isolates were grouped by RAPD-PCR and a scattered distribution was noted, indicating that resistance was not related to a particular clone as cited previously [1,23] . The spread of virulence/resistance traits in isolates of species and different RAPD-types suggest the pathogenic potential of species [10] .…”

“…Beside the several existing reports of VRE in animals [5] , there are a limited number of studies dealing with the colonization of VRE in companion animals [4] , even though VRE have been recorded in the intestinal tract of dogs and cats [6] . Simjee et al [22] described the isolation of a high-level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR) and vancomycinresistant E. faecium (VREfm) from a canine urinary tract infection in the USA, while Manson et al [23] isolated a gentamicin-sensitive VREfm from a canine in New Zealand. Similar results cited by recently [5] .…”