Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Enterococcus Species Isolated from RetailMeats

Abstract

a total of 981 samples of retail raw meats (chicken, turkey, pork, and beef) were randomly obtained from 263 grocery stores in Iowa and cultured for the presence of Enterococcus spp. A total of 1,357 enterococcal isolates were recovered from the samples, with contamination rates ranging from 97% of pork samples to 100% of ground beef samples. Enterococcus faecium was the predominant species recovered (61%), followed by E. faecalis (29%), and E. hirae (5.7%). E. faecium was the predominant species recovered from ground turkey (60%), ground beef (65%), and chicken breast (79%), while E. faecalis was the predominant species recovered from pork chops (54%). The incidence of resistance to many production and therapeutic antimicrobials differed among enterococci recovered from retail meat samples. Resistance to quinupristin-dalfopristin, a human analogue of the production drug virginiamycin, was observed in 54, 27, 9, and 18% of E. faecium isolates from turkey, chicken, pork, and beef samples, respectively. No resistance to linezolid or vancomycin was observed, but high-level gentamicin resistance was observed in 4% of enterococci, the majority of which were recovered from poultry retail meats. Results indicate that Enterococcus spp. commonly contaminate retail meats and that dissimilarities in antimicrobial resistance patterns among enterococci recovered from different meat types may reflect the use of approved antimicrobial agents in each food animal production class.

Presence of Multidrug-Resistant <i>E. coli</i>, <i>Enterococcus</i> spp. and <i>Salmonella</i> spp. in Lakes and Fountains of Porto, Portugal

“…This finding is in agreement with previous studies that reported the prevalence of these strains in fecal contaminated environmental samples [34][35][36] and showed a particular ability of E. faecium and E. fecalis to acquire and maintain resistance traits [37,38].…”

Antimicrobial Resistance of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Produce

“…While the prevalence and transmission of antibiotic resistance among bacteria associated with food animals has been well documented, research regarding resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from raw produce is lacking (1,7,26,27). A few studies examining the prevalence of resistance among gramnegative microorganisms isolated from produce exist, although results are conflicting.…”

“…Therefore, in instances where NCCLS standards were not available, a quantitative evaluation of resistance was done through calculation of MICs at which 50% and 90% of isolates were inhibited (MIC 50 and MIC 90 ) (15,16). Control strains included E. faecalis ATCC 29212 (vancomycin susceptible) and ATCC 51299 (vancomycin resistant) (7,16). Profiles from different isolates collected from the same sample that differed by less than 2 dilutions for at least one antimicrobial MIC were considered duplicates.…”

Susceptibility of bacteria of the Enterococcus genus isolated on Lithuanian poultry farms

“…These organisms are particularly challenging to eliminate because of their ability to adapt to environmental stresses (Hayes et al, 2003). They are frequently isolated from environmental sources such as soil, surface waters, and raw plant and animal products, where their intrinsic ruggedness allows them to persist and spread in the environment ( Johnston and Jaykus, 2004).…”