title: Antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes in Enterococcus isolated from tropical recreational waters.
abstract: The prevalence of enterococci harboring tetracycline- and vancomycin-resistance genes, as well as the enterococcal surface protein (esp) has mostly been determined in clinical settings, but their prevalence in tropical recreational waters remains largely unknown. The present study determined the prevalence of tetM (tetracycline-resistance), vanA and vanB (vancomycin-resistance) in the bacterial and viral fractions, enterococci and their induced phages isolated from tropical recreational marine and fresh waters, dry and wet sands. Since lysogenic phages can act as vectors for antibiotic-resistance and virulence factors, the prevalence of the mentioned genes, as well as that of an integrase-encoding gene (int) specific for Enterococcus faecalis phages was determined. Up to 60 and 54% of the bacterial fractions and enterococci, respectively, harbored at least one of the tested genes suggesting that bacteria in tropical environments may be reservoirs of antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes. int was detected in the viral fractions and in one Enterococcus isolate after induction. This study presents the opportunity to determine if the presence of bacteria harboring antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes in tropical recreational waters represents a threat to public health.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. tsantiagoro@gmail.com
authors: Tasha M
authors: TM
authors: Santiago-Rodriguez
authors: Jessica I
authors: JI
authors: Rivera
authors: Mariel
authors: M
authors: Coradin
authors: Gary A
authors: GA
authors: Toranzos
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011647:Puerto Rico; D011998:Recreation; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D014329:Tropical Climate; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
references: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2008 Feb;52(2):452-7
references: 18056272
references: Prev Vet Med. 1997 Jul;31(1-2):95-112
references: 9234429
references: J Appl Bacteriol. 1992 Jan;72(1):29-31
references: 1541597
references: Infect Immun. 2001 Jul;69(7):4366-72
references: 11401975
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001 Jan;67(1):22-32
references: 11133424
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001 Apr;67(4):1494-502
references: 11282596
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001 Oct;67(10):4538-45
references: 11571153
references: J Appl Microbiol. 2009 May;106(5):1521-31
references: 19187132
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Mar 2;96(5):2192-7
references: 10051617
references: J Bacteriol. 2010 Feb;192(4):1122-30
references: 20008075
references: Infect Immun. 2003 Dec;71(12):7079-86
references: 14638798
references: J Environ Qual. 2008 Jun 23;37(4):1583-8
references: 18574191
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Jun;71(6):3364-8
references: 15933043
references: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2005 Dec;24(12):815-25
references: 16374593
references: FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2005 Apr 15;245(2):195-203
references: 15837373
references: Genome Res. 2000 Nov;10(11):1719-25
references: 11076857
references: Emerg Infect Dis. 1998 Jan-Mar;4(1):37-47
references: 9452397
references: J Clin Microbiol. 2002 Nov;40(11):4396
references: 12409442
references: Microb Ecol. 1989 Sep;18(2):125-34
references: 24196128
references: Trends Microbiol. 2000 Nov;8(11):504-8
references: 11121760
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Feb;54(2):513-7
references: 3281583
references: J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006 May;57(5):832-9
references: 16565159
references: PLoS One. 2011 Mar 03;6(3):e17549
references: 21390233
references: Curr Opin Microbiol. 2003 Oct;6(5):506-11
references: 14572544
references: J Antimicrob Chemother. 2004 Jul;54(1):232-5
references: 15192049
references: FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2003 Apr 1;43(3):325-35
references: 19719664
references: Water Sci Technol. 2010;61(2):293-300
references: 20107254
references: Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Nov 1;42(21):8014-20
references: 19031895
references: Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2004 Sep;68(3):560-602, table of contents
references: 15353570
references: Environ Sci Technol. 2005 Jan 1;39(1):283-7
references: 15667106
references: Environ Monit Assess. 2010 Oct;169(1-4):375-84
references: 19904625
references: J Chromatogr A. 2001 Sep 14;928(2):177-86
references: 11587336
references: FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2003 Nov 1;46(2):203-11
references: 19719574
references: Braz J Infect Dis. 2002 Aug;6(4):196-200
references: 12204187
references: Methods Mol Biol. 2009;502:227-38
references: 19082559
references: Environ Sci Technol. 2006 Dec 1;40(23):7150-6
references: 17180961
references: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1994 Oct;7(4):462-78
references: 7834601
references: J Environ Qual. 2008 May 02;37(3):898-905
references: 18453412
references: Clin Microbiol Rev. 2000 Oct;13(4):686-707
references: 11023964
references: J Appl Microbiol. 2009 Jul;107(1):300-7
references: 19239547
references: Water Res. 2010 Sep;44(16):4716-25
references: 20723963
references: Water Sci Technol. 2009;60(1):261-6
references: 19587423
references: FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2011 Apr;317(1):9-26
references: 21204936
references: J Mol Biol. 2004 Jan 16;335(3):667-78
references: 14687564
references: Anal Chem. 2001 Oct 1;73(19):4640-6
references: 11605842