This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Manson, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Cook, G. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Manson, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Cook, G. M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Manson, J. M.
Right arrow Articles by Cook, G. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 5764-5768, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.5764-5768.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Persistence of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in New Zealand Broilers after Discontinuation of Avoparcin Use

Janet M. Manson, John M. B. Smith, and Gregory M. Cook*

Department of Microbiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Received 25 February 2004/ Accepted 7 June 2004

Large amounts of tylosin, zinc-bacitracin, and avilamycin are currently used as prophylactics in New Zealand broiler production. Avoparcin was also used from 1977 to 2000. A total of 382 enterococci were isolated from 213 fecal samples (147 individual poultry farms) using enrichment broths plated on m-Enterococcus agar lacking antimicrobials. These isolates were then examined to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Of the 382 isolates, 5.8% (22 isolates) were resistant to vancomycin, and 64.7% were resistant to erythromycin. The bacitracin MIC was ≥256 µg/ml for 98.7% of isolates, and the avilamycin MIC was ≥8 µg/ml for 14.9% of isolates. No resistance to ampicillin or gentamicin was detected. Of the 22 vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolates, 18 (81.8%) were Enterococcus faecalis, 3 were Enterococcus faecium, and 1 was Enterococcus durans. However, when the 213 fecal enrichment broths were plated on m-Enterococcus agar containing vancomycin, 86 VRE were recovered; 66% of these isolates were E. faecium and the remainder were E. faecalis. Vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolates were found to have heterogenous pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of SmaI-digested DNA, whereas the PFGE patterns of vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolates were identical or closely related, suggesting that this VRE clone is widespread throughout New Zealand. These data demonstrate that vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis persists in the absence and presence of vancomycin-selective pressure, thus explaining the dominance of this VRE clone even in the absence of avoparcin.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. Phone: 64 3 479 7722. Fax: 64 3 479 8540. E-mail: address: greg.cook{at}stonebow.otago.ac.nz.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2004, p. 5764-5768, Vol. 70, No. 10
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.10.5764-5768.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Batista Xavier, D., Moreno Bernal, F. E., Titze-de-Almeida, R. (2006). Absence of VanA- and VanB-Containing Enterococci in Poultry Raised on Nonintensive Production Farms in Brazil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3072-3073 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sorum, M., Johnsen, P. J., Aasnes, B., Rosvoll, T., Kruse, H., Sundsfjord, A., Simonsen, G. S. (2006). Prevalence, Persistence, and Molecular Characterization of Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci in Norwegian Poultry and Poultry Farmers 3 to 8 Years after the Ban on Avoparcin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 516-521 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Eisner, A., Feierl, G., Gorkiewicz, G., Dieber, F., Kessler, H. H., Marth, E., Kofer, J. (2005). High Prevalence of VanA-Type Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Austrian Poultry. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6407-6409 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»