Vancomycin-resistant enterococci isolated from animals and food

One hundred and one chicken products, boiled ham and turkey cold meat were acquired fr om 18 different supermarkets in Spain during October 1997 to Ju ne 1998 and were analyzed for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In th e same way, 50 intestinal chicken samples from a slaughterhouse were also s tudied. VRE were detected in 25 of 92 samples of food of chicken origin (27 .2%), but no VRE were found in cooked pork or turkey products. VRE were als o detected in 8 of 50 intestinal chicken samples from the slaughterhouse (1 6%). VRE were identified as Enterococcus durans (n=11), Enterococcus faecal is (n = 10), Enterococcus faecium (n = 10) and Enterococcus hirae (n = 2), All these strains were characterized as belonging to the vanA genotype by p olymerase chain reaction. Ampicillin. quinupristin/dalfopristin and high le vel aminoglycoside resistance were frequently found among these strains. He terogeneity was observed in susceptibility patterns among VRE strains, even in those of the same species. The high rate of colonization of chicken pro ducts by vanA containing enterococci detected 6 months to 1 year after the banning of avoparcin as a growth promoter: supports other studies suggestin g that the food chain could be a source of VRE colonization in humans and t hus a source of VRE infections. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.