title: Multi-antibiotic resistant and putative virulence gene signatures in Enterococcus species isolated from pig farms environment.
abstract: The continuous misuse of antimicrobials in food animals both orally and subcutaneously as therapeutic and prophylactic agents to bacterial infections could be detrimental and contribute to the dissemination of resistant clones in livestock production. The present study was carried out to determine the antibiogram and virulence gene characteristics of Enterococcus species from pig farms. A total of 300 faecal samples were obtained from two pig farms in Benin City between February and July 2016. Standard culture-based and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay were adopted in the detection and characterization of the Enterococcus species. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile was determined using disc diffusion method. A total of 268 enterococci isolates were recovered from both farms investigated. In Farm A, 94/95 (99%) of E. faecalis isolates were resistant to clindamycin; while 23/25 (92%) of E. faecium isolates were resistant to clindamycin. In farm B, all E. faecalis isolates 119/119 (100%) were resistant to clindamycin; while 26/29 (90%) of E. faecium isolates were resistant to clindamycin. Virulence gene detected in the enterococci isolates includes aggregation (asa1) [Farm A (E. faecalis 66%, E. faecium 76%), Farm B (E. faecalis 71%, E. faecium 13%)] and others. Multidrug resistant profile of the isolates revealed that 17/95 (18%) of E. faecalis and 3/25 (12%) of E. faecium isolates from Farm A as well as, 16/119 (14%) of E. faecalis and 5/29 (17%) of E. faecium isolates from Farm B were resistant to CLIR, PENR, ERYR, GENR, TETR, MEMR, KANR, and PTZR. The high level of resistance observed in the study and their virulence gene signatures, calls for effective environmental monitoring to circumvent the environmental dissemination of resistant pathogenic clones. Thus environmental hygiene should be provided to food animals to prevent the proliferation and spread of resistant bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Applied Microbial Processes & Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Private Mail Bag 1154, Benin City 300001, Nigeria; Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Western Delta University, Private Mail Bag 10, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abeni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beshiru
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Private Mail Bag 1154, Benin City 300001, Nigeria; SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.
authors.forename: Isoken H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Igbinosa
authors.affiliation: Applied Microbial Processes & Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Private Mail Bag 1154, Benin City 300001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Faith I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Omeje
authors.affiliation: Applied Microbial Processes & Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Private Mail Bag 1154, Benin City 300001, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abraham G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ogofure
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Western Delta University, Private Mail Bag 10, Oghara, Delta State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Martin M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Eyong
authors.affiliation: Applied Microbial Processes & Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Private Mail Bag 1154, Benin City 300001, Nigeria; SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa. Electronic address: eigbinosa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Etinosa O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Igbinosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D000072480:Farms; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013552:Swine; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Enterococci; Multidrug resistance; Pig farms; Virulence gene