Predominance of vanA Genotype amongVancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Isolates from Poultry andSwine in CostaRica

Abstract

The use of avoparcin as a growth promoter is considered to have selected for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In Costa Rica, the use of avoparcin for poultry and swine was intensive until the product was withdrawn from the market in 2000. We evaluated the presence of VRE in poultry, swine, and cattle fecal samples obtained during 1998 and 1999. A total of 185 VRE isolates were recovered from 116 out of 893 samples. Enterococcus faecium was the most frequently isolated species (50.8%), being predominant among poultry (71.6%) and swine (37.7%) isolates, but it was not recovered from the bovine samples. The secondmost-frequently-isolated species from poultry and swine, respectively, were E. durans (23.2%) and E. faecalis (21.7%). E. casseliflavus was the only species obtained from bovine samples, but it was not found among the avian isolates. An evident predominance of the vanA determinant among vancomycin-resistant enterococcal species from poultry and swine, but not from cattle, was observed and was similar to the situation in European countries before avoparcin was forbidden. The diversity of the vanA determinant in the isolates was assessed by detection of the IS1251 insertion in the vanSH intergenic region and of the IS1476 insertion in the vanXY intergenic region. However, in none of the 154 vanA ؉ isolates recovered in this study were those insertions detected.

Distribution and genetic relatedness of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from healthy slaughtered chickens in Hungary from 2001 to 2004

“…The vanA determinant was detected among various Enterococcus species including E. faecium, E. durans and E. mundtii, demonstrating that the vanA gene cluster located on mobile elements is able to disseminate between different species (Bustamante et al, 2003) Our results correlate with those of a Danish study, which indicated the decreasing prevalence of VRE in poultry after avoparcin had been banned. Additionally, the ratio of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium strains was reduced from > 80% in 1995 to < 5% in Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 56, 2008 1998 (Bager et al, 1999).…”

“…For about 20 years, in particular avoparcin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, was used as a feed additive for broiler chickens, turkeys, pigs, cattle, sheep and goats in many European countries including Hungary and also in Australia; however, it was not used in the USA and Canada. Farms using avoparcin became reservoirs for glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (Bustamante et al, 2003). The emergence of the first vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in human clinical isolates in Europe was reported by Leclercq et al in 1988, and several authors described intra-and interhospital outbreaks (Boyle et al, 1993;Chow et al, 1993).…”

Antibiotic Resistance Profiling and Genotyping of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Collected from an Urban River Basin in the Provincial City of Miyazaki, Japan

“…In European countries, VRE are prevalent in the environment; they were detected in livestock and wastewater treatment plants [35,36]. Several studies indicated that the intensive use of avoparcin as a growth promoter in food animals, such as broilers and pigs has contributed to an increase in VRE [37,38].…”

Scientific publications about DNA structure-function and PCR technique in Costa Rica: A historic view (1953-2003)

“…Their contributions cover different areas; some examples are in molecular bacteriology (Morera-Brenes et al 1994, Bustamante et al 2003, Xet-Mull et al 2004, in human genetics (Lynch et al 1997, Leal et al 2001, Venegas et al 2003, in plant genetics (Céspedes et al 2003, Muñoz et al 2004, Valdez et al 2004, and molecular zoology and protozoology (Lizano et al 2000, Lamar and Sasa 2003, Sittenfeld et al 2004. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I apologize to many researchers that I could not include in this note.…”