Penicillin‐resistant, ampicillin‐susceptible Enterococcus faecalis isolates are uncommon in non‐clinical sources

• Published in: Environmental microbiology reports Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 230 - 238
• Main Authors: Correa, Fábio Ederson Lopes, Zanella, Rosemeire Cobo, Cassiolato, Ana Paula, Paiva, Aline Dias, Okura, Monica Hitomi, Conceição, Natália, Oliveira, Adriana Gonçalves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Ampicillin; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacteria; Clinical isolates; Ecological niches; Feces; Food; Food sources; Genes; Health care; Hospitals; Infections; Laboratories; Multidrug resistance; Multidrug resistant organisms; Penicillin; Phenotypes; Sewage; Software; Urogenital system; Brazil; United States > US
• ISSN: 1758-2229; 1758-2229
• DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13043

Summary This study aimed to investigate whether penicillin‐resistant, ampicillin‐susceptible E. faecalis (PRASEF) isolates are disseminated in non‐clinical sources, and to compare the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of clinical and non‐clinical E. faecalis isolates. Non‐clinical samples (n = 280) were collected and 101 E. faecalis isolates were recovered from food (n = 18), faeces of healthy animals (n = 24), water (n = 28) and sewage (n = 31). PRASEF (n = 68) and penicillin‐susceptible, ampicillin‐susceptible E. faecalis (n = 77) isolates of clinical origin were also evaluated. A significant variety of AMR profiles was observed among non‐clinical isolates according to the source. No food isolate exhibited a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype different from those of isolates from animal faeces (50.0%) and sewage (38.7%). Overall, the MDR phenotype was more frequent among clinical (56.6%) than non‐clinical isolates (22.8%) (p < 0.01). Non‐clinical PRASEF isolates (n = 3) were only recovered from hospital sewage. Note that representative clinical and non‐clinical PRASEF isolates were grouped in pulsotype A, and belonged to CC9 (clonal complex). In conclusion, E. faecalis isolates exhibiting the unusual penicillin‐resistant but ampicillin‐susceptible phenotype appeared to be restricted to the hospital environment. Our findings highlight the ability of PRASEF isolates to survive in sewage, which could enable these hospital‐adapted lineages to spread to new ecological niches.