VanA-type vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) remain prevalent in poultry carcasses 3 years after avoparcin was banned

Avoparcin was used as a growth promoting feed additive in Norwegian broiler and turkey production from 1986 until it was banned in 1995, when an assoc iation between vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and avoparcin use bec ame apparent. A recent study regarding Faecal samples documented a continui ng high prevalence of VRE among Norwegian poultry 3 years after avoparcin w as banned. In the present study, carcasses of broilers and turkeys from far ms where avoparcin had previously been in use and carcasses of layer chicke ns from farms where avoparcin had never been used were examined for the pre sence of VRE. One carcass from each of 150 different farms was included. By a direct plating method, VRE were isolated from 30 of 100 samples of broil ers and turkeys. but not from any samples of layer chickens. When an enrich ment step was included, VRE were isolated from a total of 81 of the 100 sam ples of broilers and turkeys and from nine of the 50 samples of layer chick ens. All VRE isolated were highly resistant to vancomycin (MIC greater than or equal to 256 mug/ml) and possessed the vanA gene. These results corresp ond to the prevalence of VRE recently documented in faecal samples from Nor wegian poultry. The present study reveals a high prevalence of VRE in broil er and turkey carcasses. Consequently, consumers are exposed to VRE when ha ndling raw poultry meat. although the public health significance of such ex posure is unclear. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.