Outbreak of mastitis in sheep caused by multi-drug resistant Enterococcus faecalis in Sardinia, Italy

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 141; no. 3; pp. 582 - 584
• Main Authors: SANCIU, G., MAROGNA, G., PAGLIETTI, B., CAPPUCCINELLI, P., LEORI, G., RAPPELLI, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.03.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Clindamycin - pharmacology; Cloxacillin - pharmacology; Dairying; Disease Outbreaks; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects; Enterococcus faecalis - isolation & purification; Female; Food contamination & poisoning; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-positive bacteria; Hypotheses; Infections; Italy - epidemiology; Kanamycin - pharmacology; Mastitis - epidemiology; Mastitis - microbiology; Mastitis - veterinary; Microbiology; Milk; Milk - microbiology; Miscellaneous; Oxytetracycline; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - epidemiology; Sheep Diseases - microbiology; Short Report; Streptomycin - pharmacology; Zoonoses and Animal Infections; Southern Europe; Italy; Sardinia; Europe; United States > US; Enterococcus; outbreaks; Animal pathogens; antibiotic resistance; Enterococcus faecalis; Lactic acid bacteria; Mastitis; Farming animal; Epidemiology; Resistance; Mammary gland diseases; Streptococcaceae; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Mediterranean region; Veterinary; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268812000647

An outbreak of infective mastitis due to Enterococcus faecalis occurred in an intensive sheep farm in north Sardinia (Italy). E. faecalis, which is only rarely isolated from sheep milk, was unexpectedly found in 22·3% of positive samples at microbiological examination. Forty-five out of the 48 E. faecalis isolates showed the same multi-drug resistance pattern (cloxacillin, streptomycin, kanamycin, clindamycin, oxytetracycline). E. faecalis isolates were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and all 45 multi-drug resistant strains showed an indistinguishable macrorestiction profile, indicating their clonal origin. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak of mastitis in sheep caused by E. faecalis.