Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
Volume/Issue:
Volume 65: Issue 2
Species distribution, antibiotic resistance and virulence traits in canine and feline enterococci in Tunisia
Authors: Leila Ben Said 1 , Raoudha Dziri 1 , Nadia Sassi 1 , Carmen Lozano 2 , Karim Ben Slama 1 , Imen Ouzari 1 , Carmen Torres 2 , 3 , and Naouel Klibi 1
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  • 1 Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia
  • 2 Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
  • 3 Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/004.2017.018
Page Count:
173–184
Publication Date:
01 Jun 2017
Online Publication Date:
Jun 2017
Article Category:
Research Article
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In order to investigate the possible role of dogs and cats in the carriage and potential dissemination of resistant enterococci, seventy faecal samples from dogs and cats were tested for enterococci. Fifty-eight enterococci were recovered. Isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium (n = 31) and E. faecalis (n = 14) E. durans (n = 6), E. casseliflavus (n = 2), E. hirae and E. gallinarum (2 isolates each). Enterococcal isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin (n = 35), erythromycin (n = 31), tetracycline (n = 25), kanamycin (n = 15), streptomycin (n = 13), pristinamycin (n = 11), gentamicin (n = 10), chloramphenicol (n = 8), and linezolid (n = 6). The gene erm(B) was detected in 22 out of 31 erythromycin-resistant enterococci. All tetracycline-resistant enterococci carried tet(M) and/or tet(L) genes. The gene aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia was identified in five of high-level gentamicin-resistant isolates, the genes aph(3′)-IIIa and/or aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia in eleven high-level kanamycin-resistant isolates and the gene ant(6)-Ia in eleven high-level streptomycin-resistant isolates. Only one strain harboured cat(A) gene, and five strains contained vat(E) or vat(D) genes. Virulence genes gel(E) (21 strains), esp (11 strains) and cylA/cylB (5 strains) were detected. High genetic diversity was demonstrated among E. faecium isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Dogs and cats can be carriers of antibiotic-resistant enterococci in their faeces that could shed into the household environment.

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Cover Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
Print ISSN:
0236-6290
Online ISSN:
1588-2705
Keywords:
Enterococcus ; pets; resistance genes; virulence genes; linezolid resistance

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