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PubMed2005

Nosocomial infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci at a university hospital in Taiwan from 1991 to 2003: resistance trends, antibiotic usage and in vitro activities of newer antimicrobial agents.

A rapid increase of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection (from 39% in 1991 to 75% in 2003) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) (from 1.2% in 1996 to 6.1% in 2003) at a university hospital in Taiwan was found. The noticeable rise of MRSA and VRE was significantly correlated with the increased consumption of glycopeptides, beta-lactam-beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations, extended-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones (Pearson's correlation coefficient, P < 0.05). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 100 non-duplicate blood isolates of MRSA (in 2003) and of 25 non-duplicate isolates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and 172 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (in 1996-2003) causing nosocomial infection recovered from various clinical specimens of patients treated at the hospital to nine antimicrobial agents were determined by the agar dilution method. All of these isolates were susceptible to linezolid and were inhibited by 0.5mg/L of tigecycline, and all MRSA isolates were inhibited by daptomycin 1mg/L, including two isolates of MRSA with heteroresistance to vancomycin. Daptomycin had two-fold better activity against vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (MIC90, 2 mg/L) than against vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (MIC90, 4 mg/L). Decreased susceptibilities of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium and MRSA to quinupristin/dalfopristin (non-susceptibility 25% and 8%, respectively) were found. Telithromycin had poor activity against the isolates tested (MIC90, 8 mg/L). Linezolid, daptomycin and tigecycline may represent therapeutic options for infections caused by these resistant Gram-positive organisms.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1999

Antimicrobial activity of quinupristin/dalfopristin, a new injectable streptogramin with a wide Gram-positive spectrum.

Quinupristin/dalfopristin (Synercid) is a new injectable streptogramin antibiotic proposed for the treatment of severe antimicrobial infections, that has been shown to be active against Gram-positive, multi-resistant cocci. We compared the in vitro activity of quinupristin/dalfopristin with that of amoxycillin, ampicillin, penicillin, cefixime, ceftriaxone, clindamycin, erythromycin, imipenem, meropenem, oxacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, teicoplanin and vancomycin. The susceptibility of 37 Staphylococcus aureus (14 MS, 23 MR), 26 Staphylococcus epidermidis (16 MS, 10 MR), 20 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 33 Group A Streptococcus pyogenes, 15 Streptococcus agalactiae, 10 Enterococcus faecalis (1 vancomycin-resistant), 15 Enterococcus faecium (9 van A) was evaluated. Quinupristin/dalfopristin was active against all Gram-positive species tested, including met-R S. aureus (MIC < or = 2 mg/l), met-R S. epidermidis (MIC < or = 2 mg/l), S. pneumoniae (MIC < or = 1 mg/l), ery-R and ery-S streptococci (MIC < or = 1 mg/l). The strains of E. faecalis were generally less susceptible. Time-kill studies confirmed that quinupristin/dalfopristin at 4 x MIC concentration showed a complete bactericidal effect (3 log reduction) in about 4 6 h against all strains tested. A post-antibiotic effect (PAE) of 3.9-5.2 h was observed at 4 x MIC concentration of quinupristin/dalfopristin against staphylococci. A prolonged PAE was obtained for S. pneumoniae (8 h), S. pyogenes (9 h) and S. agalactiae (7 h), while the shortest PAE was seen for E. faecalis and E. faecium (about 4 h).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2000

In vivo activities of evernimicin (SCH 27899) against vancomycin-susceptible and vancomycin-resistant enterococci in experimental endocarditis.

To assess the potential efficacy of evernimicin (SCH 27899) against serious enterococcal infections, we used a rat model of aortic valve endocarditis established with either a vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis or a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strain. Animals infected with either one of the test strains were assigned to receive no treatment (controls) or 5-day therapy with one of the following regimens: evernimicin 60-mg/kg of body weight intravenous (i.v.) bolus once daily, 60-mg/kg i.v. bolus twice daily (b.i.d.), 60 mg/kg/day i.v. by continuous infusion, or 120 mg/kg/day i.v. by continuous infusion. These regimens were compared with vancomycin at 150 mg/kg/day. In animals infected with E. faecalis, evernimicin at 120 mg/kg/day by continuous infusion significantly reduced bacterial counts in vegetations (final density, 5.75+/-3.38 log(10) CFU/g) compared with controls (8.51+/-1.11 log(10) CFU/g). In animals infected with 0.5 ml of an 8 x 10(7)-CFU/ml inoculum of the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium, both 60-mg/kg bolus once a day and b.i.d. dose regimens of evernimicin were very effective (viable counts, 3.45+/-1.44 and 3.81+/-1.98 log(10) CFU/g, respectively). Vancomycin was unexpectedly active against infections induced with that inoculum. In animals infected with a 10(9)-CFU/ml inoculum of the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium, the evernimicin 60-mg/kg i.v. bolus b.i.d. reduced viable counts in vegetations compared with controls (6.27+/-1.63 versus 8.34+/-0.91 log(10) CFU/g; P<0.05), whereas vancomycin was ineffective. Although resistant colonies could be selected in vitro, we were not able to identify evernimicin-resistant clones from cardiac vegetations. An unexplained observation from these experiments was the great variability in final bacterial densities within cardiac vegetations from animals in each of the evernimicin treatment groups.

Aminoglycosides↗

PubMed1999

Antilisterial activity of peptide AS-48 and study of changes induced in the cell envelope properties of an AS-48-adapted strain of Listeria monocytogenes.

The peptide AS-48 is highly active on all Listeria species. It has a bactericidal and bacteriolytic mode of action on Listeria monocytogenes CECT 4032, causing depletion of the membrane electrical potential and pH gradient. The producer strain Enterococcus faecalis A-48-32, releases sufficient amounts of AS-48 into the growth medium to suppress L. monocytogenes in cocultures at enterococcus-to-listeria ratios above 1 at 37 degreesC or above 10 at 15 degreesC. As the temperature decreases, the bactericidal effects of AS-48 are less pronounced, but at 2.5 microgram/ml it still can inhibit the growth of listeria at 6 degreesC. AS-48 is highly active on liquid cultures, although concentrations above 0.2 microgram/ml are required to avoid adaptation of listeria. AS-48-adapted cells can be selected at low (but still inhibitory) concentrations, and they can be inhibited completely by AS-48 at 0.5 microgram/ml. The adaptation is lost gradually upon repeated subcultivation. AS48(ad) cells are cross-resistant to nisin and show an increased resistance to muramidases. Their fatty acid composition is modified: they show a much higher proportion of branched fatty acids as well as a higher C15:0 An-to-C17:0 An ratio. Resistance to AS-48 is also maintained by protoplasts from AS48(ad) cells. Electron microscopy observations show that the cell wall of AS48(ad) cells is thicker and less dense. The structure of wild-type cells is severely modified after AS-48 treatment: the cell wall and the cytoplasmic membrane are disorganized, and the cytoplasmic content is lost. Intracytoplasmic membrane vesicles are also observed when the wild-type strain is treated with high AS-48 concentrations.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1998

Time-kill profiles of Enterococcus to antibiotics used for intravitreal therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine and then compare the time-kill profiles of Enterococcus to antibiotics used for intravitreal therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The time-kill profiles of four endophthalmitis isolates of Enterococcus faecalis, one vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis isolate, and three vancomycin-resistant isolates of E. faecium were determined against vancomycin, amikacin, cefazolin, gentamicin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, clindamycin, and the combinations of vancomycin and amikacin, vancomycin and ceftazidime, vancomycin and gentamicin, vancomycin and ampicillin, cefazolin and gentamicin, and ampicillin and gentamicin. RESULTS: No single antibiotic or combination was bactericidal (defined as 99.9% kill) to all isolates of Enterococcus. Gentamicin was bactericidal to all E. faecalis isolates. None of the tested antibiotics were bactericidal to vancomycin-resistant E. faecium. CONCLUSIONS: The time-kill profiles demonstrated that vancomycin and ceftazidime did not produce a 99.9% kill for E. faecalis in this small study. Gentamicin combined with either cefazolin or ampicillin had somewhat better bactericidal activity and should be considered as an alternative therapy. Novel therapy may be necessary to treat endophthalmitis because of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, depending on the susceptibility patterns of the individual isolate and the response to initial therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1997

Replication of coliphage Q beta as affected by host cell number, nutrition, competition from insusceptible cells and non-FRNA coliphages.

F-specific RNA (FRNA) coliphages, which infect Escherichia coli by attachment to F pili, might serve as indicators of human enteric viruses in groundwater, provided these phages do not replicate in groundwater and replicate only to a limited extent in wastewater. Several factors that could influence phage replication in either of these environments were examined. Q beta did not replicate when host cells were fewer than 10(4) cfu ml-1. Replication selected for insusceptible cells when Q beta was incubated with its E. coli host. Loss of Q beta, presumably by inactivation, occurred in autoclaved on-site and urban wastewater, autoclaved groundwater, and in filter-sterilized spent LB broth. Replication did not occur in LB broth diluted with sterile saline to 1% of its original strength, which indicates that replication of FRNA coliphages cannot occur in such nutrient-poor environments as wastewater and groundwater. Competition from non-FRNA coliphages and insusceptible cells tended to reduce Q beta replication, as predicted, but phage yields unexpectedly increased significantly when Enterococcus faecalis was added to cultures.

Allolevivirus↗

PubMed2005

The effect of antibiotics and endodontic antimicrobials on the polymerase chain reaction.

The effectiveness of endodontic antimicrobial treatment could be determined using sensitive molecular methods. The purpose of this study was to determine if antibiotics or endodontic reagents interfere with the ability of PCR to detect Enterococcus faecalis in vitro. Amoxicillin (25 mg/ml), clindamycin (15 mg/ml), tetracycline (25 mg/ml), doxycycline (10 mg/ml), calcium hydroxide, 1% buffered sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl1), 3% and 6% unbuffered NaOCl (NaOCl3 and NaOCl6), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), 5% tincture iodine (TI), 2% iodine potassium iodide (IKI), chloroform (CF), 70% ethyl alcohol, 5% sodium thiosulphate, 5% citric acid or saline were added to 10 or 10 cells/ml E. faecalis ATCC 19433 for 1 h (1 wk for Ca(OH)2). Using PCR, all specimens were positive except for NaOCl3 and NaOCl6. PCR with Ca(OH)2 was positive with 10 cells/ml but negative with 10 cells/ml. The following reagents yielded negative culturing results: all antibiotics, Ca(OH)2, CHX, IKI, TI, NaOCl3, NaOCl6, and CF. BacLight nuclear staining revealed the presence of viable cells in all PCR positive, culture negative combinations, except for those with CF. Therefore, in the presence of threshold values of bacterial concentrations, all reagents tested except for NaOCl3 and NaOCl6 do not interfere with the detection of E. faecalis using PCR.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Susceptibility testing quality control studies with fosfomycin tromethamine.

Multiple studies were performed to define the quality control ranges for susceptibility tests of fosfomycin tromethamine. For disk diffusion tests, the limits proposed are 22 to 30 mm for Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and 25 to 33 mm for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Broth microdilution tests were not reproducible. For agar dilution tests, ranges proposed are 0.5 to 2.0 micrograms/ml for Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 0.5 to 4.0 micrograms/ml for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213; 2.0 to 8.0 micrograms/ml for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and 32 to 128 micrograms/ml for Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2003

Completed sequence of plasmid pIP501 and origin of spontaneous deletion derivatives.

The sequence of plasmid pIP501 (30,603 bp) was completed using previously published and newly acquired data. The sites at which two spontaneous deletions had occurred were identified. One was between tracts of repeated heptamers and the other between regions of secondary structure associated with plasmid replication. A high level of identity ( >95%) between plasmid pIP501 and part of plasmid pRE25, which had been isolated from Enterococcus faecalis associated with a food source, was confirmed.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus raffinosus: molecular epidemiology, species identification error, and frequency of occurrence in a national resistance surveillance program.

Enterococcal blood stream infections are the third most common among all nosocomial blood stream infections in the United States and the occurrence of glycopeptide (vancomycin, teicoplanin) resistance in these isolates has markedly increased. Control of hospital-acquired infections with vancomycin-resistant enterococci requires high quality antimicrobial susceptibility test methods and species identification procedures as a supplement to epidemiologic investigation and appropriate infection control procedures. In this report, bacteremias caused by Enterococcus avium (BioMerieux Vitek, Hazelwood, MO, USA) were observed to be Enterococcus raffinosus infections (six of eight cases; 1.1% of all cases) when reference biochemical identification methods were applied. The vancomycin-susceptible E. raffinosis (two strains) and E. avium (two strains) had unique phenotypic and genotypic molecular profiles. In contrast, four vancomycin-resistant E. raffinosus strains (van A by polymerase chain reaction) from a single institution had the same phenotypic and molecular (PCR, PFGE, ribotyping) pattern, indicating clonal dissemination among four patients over a 66-day period. Clinical laboratories should be aware of the high probability that van A genes may be transferred from Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus faecalis to other more rarely encountered Enterococcus species. Also contemporary, widely used commercial identification systems may fail to accurately identify those rare species. Errors appear to be most prevalent for E. avium, Enterococcus durans, and E. raffinosus based on the experience of the SCOPE Program.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1997

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by enterocin 4 during the manufacture and ripening of Manchego cheese.

The inhibitory effect of enterocin 4, a bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecalis INIA 4, on Listeria monocytogenes strains Ohio and Scott A during the manufacture and ripening of Manchego cheese was investigated. Raw ewe's milk was inoculated with ca 10(5) cfu ml-1 of L. monocytogenes and with 1% of a commercial lactic starter, 1% of an Ent. faecalis INIA 4 culture, or 1% of each culture. Manchego cheeses were manufactured according to usual procedures. Listeria monocytogenes Ohio counts decreased by 3 log units after 8 h and by 6 log units after 7 d in cheese made from milk inoculated with Ent. faecalis INIA 4 or with both cultures, whereas no inhibition was recorded after 60 d in cheese made from milk inoculated with commercial lactic starter. Listeria monocytogenes Scott A was not inhibited by enterocin 4 during cheese manufacture, but decreases of 1 log unit after 7 d and of 2 log units after 60 d were achieved in cheese made from milk inoculated with both commercial lactic starter and Ent. faecalis INIA 4.

Bacteriocins↗

PubMed1997

Antibacterial activity of enterococci strains against Vibrio cholerae.

Thirty-seven strains of enterococci isolated from milk and milk products from Santa Fe (Argentina) region were tested for antagonistic activity against Vibrio cholerae 01 and non-01. Seven of 17 strains of Enterococcus faecalis, five of 10 strains of Enterococcus faecium and four of 10 strains of Enterococcus durans produced inhibition zones against the indicator species. The activity of the antibacterial compounds was completely destroyed by treatment with trypsin and pronase E in most cases (only the supernatant fluids of a few strains remained weakly active after the treatment), but was resistant to heat treatment at 100 degrees C during 10 and 30 min. When the 10-fold concentrated supernatant fluids were added to a fresh culture of sensitive cells it produced a rapid inactivation. According to these preliminary tests, different strains of enterococci produced compounds with slightly different antivibrio properties, and these compounds were heat-resistant and had a predominantly proteinaceous nature.

Bacteriocins↗

PubMed2004

Nosocomial bloodstream infections in US hospitals: analysis of 24,179 cases from a prospective nationwide surveillance study.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. METHODS: Data from a nationwide, concurrent surveillance study (Surveillance and Control of Pathogens of Epidemiological Importance [SCOPE]) were used to examine the secular trends in the epidemiology and microbiology of nosocomial BSIs. RESULTS: Our study detected 24,179 cases of nosocomial BSI in 49 US hospitals over a 7-year period from March 1995 through September 2002 (60 cases per 10,000 hospital admissions). Eighty-seven percent of BSIs were monomicrobial. Gram-positive organisms caused 65% of these BSIs, gram-negative organisms caused 25%, and fungi caused 9.5%. The crude mortality rate was 27%. The most-common organisms causing BSIs were coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (31% of isolates), Staphylococcus aureus (20%), enterococci (9%), and Candida species (9%). The mean interval between admission and infection was 13 days for infection with Escherichia coli, 16 days for S. aureus, 22 days for Candida species and Klebsiella species, 23 days for enterococci, and 26 days for Acinetobacter species. CoNS, Pseudomonas species, Enterobacter species, Serratia species, and Acinetobacter species were more likely to cause infections in patients in intensive care units (P<.001). In neutropenic patients, infections with Candida species, enterococci, and viridans group streptococci were significantly more common. The proportion of S. aureus isolates with methicillin resistance increased from 22% in 1995 to 57% in 2001 (P<.001, trend analysis). Vancomycin resistance was seen in 2% of Enterococcus faecalis isolates and in 60% of Enterococcus faecium isolates. CONCLUSION: In this study, one of the largest multicenter studies performed to date, we found that the proportion of nosocomial BSIs due to antibiotic-resistant organisms is increasing in US hospitals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Comparison of patients with enterococcal bacteremia due to strains with and without high-level resistance to gentamicin.

Patients with enterococcal bacteremia due to strains with and without high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR; MIC, > 2,000 mg/L) were compared. Between 1986 and 1991, there were 178 episodes of enterococcal bacteremia: 47 and 131 episodes, respectively, due to enterococcal strains with and without HLGR. Sixty-two, 57, and 59 episodes, respectively, were in patients with transient bacteremia (a single positive blood culture), bacteremia (two or more positive blood cultures), and polymicrobial bacteremia. Nosocomial bacteremia accounted for 61.7% and 51.1% of episodes due to strains with and without HLGR, respectively. All isolates were strains of Enterococcus faecalis except for 13 strains of Enterococcus faecium, 4 of Enterococcus avium, and 3 of Enterococcus durans. Although the mortality was slightly higher among patients infected with strains with HLGR than among those infected with strains without HLGR (38.3% vs. 30.5%, respectively), there was no statistical difference. The mortality rate was adversely affected by old age (P < .01) and rapidly and ultimately fatal underlying conditions (P < .001). The addition of gentamicin to the treatment regimens had no effect on mortality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Occurrence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in humans and animals in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2004.

In the period between September 2002 and May 2004, a total of 6023 rectal swabs from humans in the Czech Republic were evaluated and 821 Enterococcus spp. strains were isolated. Nine strains (1.1 %) were identified as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Two strains were VanA Enterococcus faecium, one strain was VanB Enterococcus faecalis and six strains were VanC Enterococcus casseliflavus. In total, 527 Enterococcus spp. strains were isolated from poultry breeds of which 11 (2.1 %) were VRE. Most (54.5 %) were identified as VanA E. faecium. Cluster analysis of SmaI-generated macrorestriction patterns showed high variability in both human and animal VRE strains and no relatedness between strains from the two sources.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

WIN 57273, a new fluoroquinolone with enhanced in vitro activity versus gram-positive pathogens.

WIN 57273 is a new fluoroquinolone with excellent in vitro activity versus gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and gentamicin-susceptible and -resistant Enterococcus faecalis. We compared the microdilution MICs and MBCs of this compound to those of other antimicrobial agents for more than 30 clinical isolates of each of these groups of organisms and found that with few exceptions, it was at least 10 times more active than all other drugs tested. Selection for resistance to ciprofloxacin (greater than or equal to 5 micrograms/ml) or WIN 57273 (greater than or equal to 0.16 microgram/ml) by the gradient plate method produced mutants with diminished susceptibility to the other fluoroquinolone; however, the MICs and MBCs of WIN 57273 for such strains were still quite low and remained below the preliminary susceptibility breakpoint (less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml). Spontaneous mutations conferring resistance to two and five times the WIN 57273 MIC were detectable at low frequencies for S. aureus and S. epidermidis; such mutations were virtually undetectable for E. faecalis. Further testing is necessary to establish if the effectiveness of WIN 57273 is maintained in vivo, first in animals and then in humans with infections caused by methicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of S. aureus and S. epidermidis or gentamicin-susceptible and -resistant strains of E. faecalis.

4-Quinolones↗

PubMed2004

Emerging resistance among bacterial pathogens in the intensive care unit--a European and North American Surveillance study (2000-2002).

BACKGROUND: Globally ICUs are encountering emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and for some pathogens there are few therapeutic options available. METHODS: Antibiotic in vitro susceptibility data of predominant ICU pathogens during 2000-2 were analyzed using data from The Surveillance Network (TSN) Databases in Europe (France, Germany and Italy), Canada, and the United States (US). RESULTS: Oxacillin resistance rates among Staphylococcus aureus isolates ranged from 19.7% to 59.4%. Penicillin resistance rates among Streptococcus pneumoniae varied from 2.0% in Germany to as high as 20.2% in the US; however, ceftriaxone resistance rates were comparably lower, ranging from 0% in Germany to 3.4% in Italy. Vancomycin resistance rates among Enterococcus faecalis were < or = 4.5%; however, among Enterococcus faecium vancomycin resistance rates were more frequent ranging from 0.8% in France to 76.3% in the United States. Putative rates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production among Enterobacteriaceae were low, <6% among Escherichia coli in the five countries studied. Ceftriaxone resistance rates were generally lower than or similar to piperacillin-tazobactam for most of the Enterobacteriaceae species examined. Fluoroquinolone resistance rates were generally higher for E. coli (6.5% - 13.9%), Proteus mirabilis (0-34.7%), and Morganella morganii (1.6-20.7%) than other Enterobacteriaceae spp (1.5-21.3%). P. aeruginosa demonstrated marked variation in beta-lactam resistance rates among countries. Imipenem was the most active compound tested against Acinetobacter spp., based on resistance rates. CONCLUSION: There was a wide distribution in resistance patterns among the five countries. Compared with other countries, Italy showed the highest resistance rates to all the organisms with the exception of Enterococcus spp., which were highest in the US. This data highlights the differences in resistance encountered in intensive care units in Europe and North America and the need to determine current local resistance patterns by which to guide empiric antimicrobial therapy for intensive care infections.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of enterococci isolated from retail fruits, vegetables, and meats.

Although enterococci are considered opportunistic pathogens, they can be reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is increasingly important because of foodborne illnesses from meat and infections from produce. From 2000 through 2001, food items (vegetables, fruits, and meats) were obtained from grocery store chains in northern Georgia and cultured for the presence of enterococci; 47.7% (189 of 396) of these samples were positive for enterococci. For the fruits and vegetables, enterococci were cultured most often from tomatoes (9 of 27 samples, 33%) and radishes (10 of 11 samples, 91%), respectively. Among the meat items tested, enterococci were isolated from 95% (21 of 22) of the chicken samples, 73% (16 of 22) of the beef samples, 95% (20 of 21) of the turkey samples, and 68% (15 of 22) of the pork samples. The predominant species identified was Enterococcus faecalis (n = 80) from meat and Enterococcus casseliflavus (n = 66) from fruits and vegetables. Although high numbers of isolates were resistant to lincomycin (176 of 185 isolates, 95.1%) and bacitracin (150 of 185 isolates, 81.1%), very few isolates were resistant to salinomycin (2 isolates, 1.1%), penicillin (3 isolates, 1.6%), or nitrofurantoin (9 isolates, 4.9%). None of the isolates were resistant to linezolid or vancomycin. These data suggest that foods commonly purchased from grocery stores are a source of enterococci; however, overall resistance to antimicrobials is relatively low.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗