title: Identification, antimicrobial susceptibility, and virulence factors of Enterococcus spp. strains isolated from Camels in Canary Islands, Spain.
abstract: This study investigated the presence of Enterococcus spp. strains in camel faeces, their virulence factors, and resistance to the antibiotics commonly used as therapy of enterococcal infections. One hundred and seventy three Enterococcus strains were isolated and identified to species level using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Susceptibility to 11 antimicrobials was determined by disk diffusion method. Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, gentamicin, and streptomycin were all determined. Genes encoding resistance to vancomycin, tetracycline, and erythromycin as well as genes encoding some virulence factors were identified by PCR. Enterococcus hirae (54.3%) and Enterococcus faecium (25.4%) were the species most frequently isolated. None of the strains were resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin, ampicillin or showed high level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR). Strains resistant to rifampicin (42.42%) were those most commonly found followed those resistant to trimethoprim - sulfamethoxazole (33.33%). The genes tetM, tetL, vanC1, and vanC2-C3 were detected in some strains. Virulence genes were not detected. Monitoring the presence of resistant strains of faecal enterococci in animal used with recreational purposes is important to prevent transmission of those strains to humans and to detect resistance or virulence genes that could be transferred to other clinically important bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Health Research, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, P.O. BOX 550, 35080 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tejedor Junco
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Martin
authors.forename: Noe Francisco
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Gonzalez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002162:Camelus / Q000382:microbiology*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013030:Spain; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors