Characterisation of enterococcus resistant to vancomyicin in meat and milk derived artisanal food

Abstract

Enterococcus spp usually showed intrinsic antimicrobial resistance to antimicrobials used in clinical practice, like cephalosporins and aminoglucosides. Vancomycin enterococcus resistant (VRE) were reported by CDC as Public Health riskinternational emergence. However, the resistance selection pressure exerted for the misuse of antibiotics at hospitals does not explain the emergence of VRE in invasive infectious diseases in susceptible or immune-deficient patients. The main research goal of this study was to investigate the presence of VRE in meat and milk derived-artisanal food. Eighteen salami and 21 cheeses, elaborated in 4 different artisanal meat-milk elaboration units (Tandil) were studied. Each sample was homogenized, processed by duplicate and inoculated in a specific VRE medium BH agar-vancomycin (6 μg mL -1). Phenotypification was assessed by conventional biochemical tests, also using the SDS-PAGE method. Besides, was investigated the associated resistance (agar diffusion) to ampicillin, teicoplanin, imipenem, linezolid, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. The presence of VRE in artisanal food was demonstrated as follows: six VRE strains were isolated (1 E. faecalis, 3 E. faecium, 1 E. gallinarum 1 E. raffinosus) with associated resistance to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin (higher level of resistance) and linezolid. More regional studies in the search of VRE are required, since the artisanal food may act as reservoir and or vehicle of these strains, establishing an emergent concern in public health.