title: Molecular characterization of antibiotic resistance in enterococci recovered from seagulls (Larus cachinnans) representing an environmental health problem.
abstract: Antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms implicated were studied in 54 enterococci recovered from 57 seagull fecal samples. Almost 78% of the recovered enterococci showed resistance against one or more antibiotics and these isolates were identified to the species level. E. faecium was the most prevalent species (52.4%). High percentages of erythromycin and tetracycline resistances were found among our isolates (95.2%), and lower percentages were identified to other antibiotics. Most of the tetracycline-resistant strains carried the tet(M) and/or tet(L) genes. Genes associated with Tn916/Tn1545 and/or Tn5397 transposons were detected in 45% of tetracycline-resistant isolates. The erm(B) gene was detected in 65% of erythromycin-resistant isolates. The vat(D) and vat(E) genes were present in 5.9% and 11.8% of quinupristin/dalfopristin-resistant isolates, respectively. The ant(6)-Ia gene was identified in 57.1% of streptomycin-resistant isolates. All nine kanamycin-resistant isolates carried the aph(3)'-IIIa gene. The cat(A) gene was found in two chloramphenicol-resistant isolates. Seagulls should be considered a risk species for spreading in the environment antimicrobial resistant enterococci and can serve as a sentinel for antibiotic pressure from the surrounding farm and urban setting.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Center of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Radhouani
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010641:Phenotype; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents