Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in shellfish, unchlorinated waters, and chicken.

I G Wilson; G G McAfee

doi:10.1016/s0168-1605(02)00063-6

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PubMed · 12371649

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in shellfish, unchlorinated waters, and chicken.

I G Wilson·G G McAfee

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Abstract

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been a cause of increasing concern chiefly regarding the infection of hospital patients. There is suspicion, but limited evidence, that food and environmental spread may be important. Biomonitoring by examination of bivalve shellfish was used to assess the occurrence of VRE entering the environment. Using pre-enrichment and Lewisham and Slanetz and Bartley agars, 2/125 (1.6%) of shellfish were found to contain enterococci resistant to high levels of vancomycin. Lewisham agar allows relatively rapid identification of VRE. In a second phase of the work using pre-enrichment and Slanetz and Bartley agar, 4/151 (2.7%) shellfish and 5/27 (18.5%) raw chickens contained VRE. Using filtration and pre-enrichment, no VRE were found in 54 unchlorinated water samples. The study shows that environmental prevalence of VRE is low, and that raw chickens are frequently contaminated.

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Agar Animals Chickens Chlorine Enterococcus Environmental Monitoring Food Contamination Food Microbiology Microbial Sensitivity Tests Seafood Shellfish Vancomycin Vancomycin Resistance Water Microbiology Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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I G Wilson, G G McAfee. 2002-12-15. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in shellfish, unchlorinated waters, and chicken.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-1605(02)00063-6

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