This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Donabedian, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Zervos, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Donabedian, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Zervos, M. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2003, p. 1109-1113, Vol. 41, No. 3
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.3.1109-1113.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Characterization of Gentamicin-Resistant Enterococci in the United States: Evidence of Spread from Animals to Humans through Food

S. M. Donabedian,1,2 L. A. Thal,1,2 E. Hershberger,1,2 M. B. Perri,1,2 J. W. Chow,1,3,4 P. Bartlett,5 R. Jones,6 K. Joyce,7 S. Rossiter,7 K. Gay,7 J. Johnson,8 C. Mackinson,8 E. Debess,9 J. Madden,10 F. Angulo,7 and M. J. Zervos1,2,4*

Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine,1 Research Institute, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak,2 John D. Dingell VA Medical Center,3 Wayne State University, Detroit,4 Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan,5 Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Rockville,6 University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland,8 Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia,7 Oregon Health Division,9 Department of Agriculture, Portland, Oregon,10

Received 3 July 2002/ Returned for modification 3 September 2002/ Accepted 21 November 2002

We evaluated the molecular mechanism for resistance of 360 enterococci for which the gentamicin MICs were >=128 µg/ml. The aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia, aph(2")-Ic, and aph(2")-Id genes were identified by PCR in isolates from animals, food, and humans. The aph(2")-Ib gene was not identified in any of the isolates. Two Enterococcus faecalis isolates (MICs > 1,024 µg/ml) from animals failed to generate a PCR product for any of the genes tested and likely contain a new unidentified aminoglycoside resistance gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed a diversity of strains. However, 1 human and 18 pork E. faecalis isolates from Michigan with the aac(6')-Ie-aph(2")-Ia gene had related PFGE patterns and 2 E. faecalis isolates from Oregon (1 human and 1 grocery store chicken isolate) had indistinguishable PFGE patterns. We found that when a gentamicin-resistant gene was present in resistant enterococci from animals, that gene was also present in enterococci isolated from food products of the same animal species. Although these data indicate much diversity among gentamicin-resistant enterococci, the data also suggest similarities in gentamicin resistance among enterococci isolated from humans, retail food, and farm animals from geographically diverse areas and provide evidence of the spread of gentamicin-resistant enterococci from animals to humans through the food supply.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: William Beaumont Hospital, Research Institute, 3601 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48073. Phone: (248) 551-0419. Fax: (248) 551-5069. E-mail: MZervos{at}Beaumont.edu.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2003, p. 1109-1113, Vol. 41, No. 3
0095-1137/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.3.1109-1113.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Freitas, A. R., Novais, C., Ruiz-Garbajosa, P., Coque, T. M., Peixe, L. (2009). Clonal expansion within clonal complex 2 and spread of vancomycin-resistant plasmids among different genetic lineages of Enterococcus faecalis from Portugal. J Antimicrob Chemother 63: 1104-1111 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chen, Y.-G., Qu, T.-T., Yu, Y.-S., Zhou, J.-Y., Li, L.-J. (2006). Insertion sequence ISEcp1-like element connected with a novel aph(2'') allele [aph(2'')-Ie] conferring high-level gentamicin resistance and a novel streptomycin adenylyltransferase gene in Enterococcus.. J Med Microbiol 55: 1521-1525 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Donabedian, S. M., Perri, M. B., Vager, D., Hershberger, E., Malani, P., Simjee, S., Chow, J., Vergis, E. N., Muder, R. R., Gay, K., Angulo, F. J., Bartlett, P., Zervos, M. J. (2006). Quinupristin-Dalfopristin Resistance in Enterococcus faecium Isolates from Humans, Farm Animals, and Grocery Store Meat in the United States.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 3361-3365 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Singh, A., Goering, R. V., Simjee, S., Foley, S. L., Zervos, M. J. (2006). Application of Molecular Techniques to the Study of Hospital Infection. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19: 512-530 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zarrilli, R., Tripodi, M.-F., Di Popolo, A., Fortunato, R., Bagattini, M., Crispino, M., Florio, A., Triassi, M., Utili, R. (2005). Molecular epidemiology of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci isolated from patients in a university hospital in southern Italy. J Antimicrob Chemother 56: 827-835 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • De Leener, E., Martel, A., De Graef, E. M., Top, J., Butaye, P., Haesebrouck, F., Willems, R., Decostere, A. (2005). Molecular Analysis of Human, Porcine, and Poultry Enterococcus faecium Isolates and Their erm(B) Genes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2766-2770 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hershberger, E., Oprea, S. F., Donabedian, S. M., Perri, M., Bozigar, P., Bartlett, P., Zervos, M. J. (2005). Epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in enterococci of animal origin. J Antimicrob Chemother 55: 127-130 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Shewmaker, P. L., Steigerwalt, A. G., Morey, R. E., Carvalho, M. d. G. S., Elliott, J. A., Joyce, K., Barrett, T. J., Teixeira, L. M., Facklam, R. R. (2004). Vagococcus carniphilus sp. nov., isolated from ground beef. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54: 1505-1510 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rahman, M., Kuhn, I., Rahman, M., Olsson-Liljequist, B., Mollby, R. (2004). Evaluation of a Scanner-Assisted Colorimetric MIC Method for Susceptibility Testing of Gram-Negative Fermentative Bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 2398-2403 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Huys, G., D'Haene, K., Collard, J.-M., Swings, J. (2004). Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Tetracycline Resistance in Enterococcus Isolates from Food. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 1555-1562 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hayes, J. R., English, L. L., Carter, P. J., Proescholdt, T., Lee, K. Y., Wagner, D. D., White, D. G. (2003). Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Retail Meats. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 7153-7160 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»