Molecular Characterization of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Slaughterhouse Wastewater

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the role of cattle slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) as a possible source of the antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium strains that pose a significant public health risk. For this purpose, Enterococcus spp. strains isolated by conventional method from 106 SWW samples ob-tained from cattle slaughterhouses were confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and characterized by conventional PCR. Their antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined with disc diffusion method. Out of the 95 (89.6%) enterococci isolates, 33 (34.7%) were identified as E. faecalis and 10 (10.5%) as E. faecium. While E. faecalis isolates were resistant to Quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampin, tetracycline and erythromycin at the rates of 90%, 88%, 75% and 63%, respectively; the resistance rates of E. faecium isolates to the relevant antibiotics were determined as 90%, 100%, 80% and 80%, respectively. However, linezolid (90%), vancomycin (≥70%), and penicillin (>90%) showed high efficacy against E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates. Additionally, 26 (79%) of the E. faecalis isolates and all (100%) E. faecium isolates exhibited multiple drug resistance (MDR) and their multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indexes were greater than 0.2 for 84% and 100% of these isolates, respectively. In conclusion, the analyzed SWWs can serve as a reservoir for E. feacium and E. faecalis isolates that exhibit high resistance to medically significant antimicrobials, and they can play a critical role in colonization on the environment and humans. Therefore, appropriate treatment strategies should be applied to minimize the negative effects of SWWs with rich microbiota on public health and environment.

Keywords

• E. faecalis
• E. faecium
• public health
• slaughterhouse wastewater

Mezbaha Atık Sularından İzole Edilen Enterococcus Türlerinin Moleküler Karakterizasyonu

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, sığır mezbahası atık suyunun (MAS) önemli bir halk sağlığı riski yaratan antibiyotik dirençli Entero-coccus faecalis ve Enterococcus faecium türlerinin çevreye salınımında olası bir kaynak olarak rolünün araştırılması amaçlandı. Bu amaçla, büyükbaş hayvan mezbahalarından temin edilen 106 adet MAS örneğinden konvansiyonel metot ile izole edilen Enterococcus spp. suşları kantitatif gerçek zamanlı polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu (Q-PCR) ile konfir-me edildi ve konvansiyonel PCR ile karakterize edildi. İzolatların antimikrobiyal duyarlılıkları disk difüzyon yöntemi ile belirlendi. Çalışmada MAS örneklerinden elde edilen 95 (%89.6) enterokok izolatının 33’ü (%34.7) E. faecalis ve 10’u (%10.5) ise E. faecium olarak identifiye edildi. E. faecalis izolatlarının Quinupristin-dalfopristine, rifampin, tetrasiklin ve eritromisine karşı direnç oranları sırasıyla %90, %88, %75 ve %63 olarak belirlenirken E. faecium izolatlarının ilgili antibiyotiklere direnç oranları ise sırasıyla %90, %100, %80 ve %80 olarak belirlendi. Fakat, linezolid (%90), vankomi-sin (≥%70) ve penisilin (>%90) E. faecalis ve E. faecium izolatlarına karşı yüksek etkinlik gösterdi. Ayrıca E. faecalis izolatlarının 26’sı (%79), E. faecium izolatlarının tamamı (%100) çoklu antibiyotik direnci (ÇAD) gösterdi ve bu izolatlar-dan sırası ile %84’ünün ve %100’ünün ÇAD indeksleri 0.2’den yüksek idi. Sonuç olarak, analiz edilen MAS’ların tıbbi açıdan önemli antimikrobiyallere karşı yüksek oranda çoklu direnç sergileyen E. faecium ve E. faecalis izolatları için bir rezervuar görevi görebileceği ve bu organizmaların çevreye ve insanlara kolonizasyonunda önemli rol alabileceği tespit edildi. Bu nedenle, zengin mikrobiyotaya sahip MAS’ların halk sağlığı ve çevre üzerine olumsuz etkilerin en aza indiril-mesi için uygun arıtma stratejileri uygulanmalıdır.

Keywords

• E. faecalis
• E. faecium
• halk sağlığı
• mezbaha atık suyu

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