Characterization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from broiler poultry and pig farms in England and Wales.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) isolates on poultry and pig farms in England and Wales. A total of 217 VREF isolates were obtained from fresh feces and environmental swabs collected from conventional and organic farms. A predominant pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile was found for each VREF-positive farm, together with less frequent types. All isolates presented the vanA genotype and were esp negative. Seventy-six percent of the VREF isolates were additionally resistant to nine or more antimicrobials, presenting a diverse range of resistance phenotypes. The multiresistance traits did not appear to be specific to individual farms or sample types (i.e., environmental or fecal), nor did

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Migura L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1169128 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature