Differential antimicrobial susceptibility between human and chicken isolates of vancomycin-resistant and sensitive Enterococcus faecium

• Published in: International journal of antimicrobial agents Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 39 - 46
• Main Authors: Chen, Han Yuan, Hill, Robert L.R, Kirk, Monica, Casewell, Mark W, Beighton, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 2002; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Chickens - microbiology; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus faecium - drug effects; Enterococcus faecium - isolation & purification; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Human and chicken isolates; Humans; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Resistance; Vancomycin - pharmacology; Vancomycin Resistance; Resistance; Enterococcus faecium; Human and chicken isolates; Human; Peptides; Drug susceptibility test; Interspecific comparison; Vancomycin; In vitro; Streptococcaceae; Vertebrata; Sensitivity resistance; Glycopeptide; Animal; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Chicken; Aves; Antibacterial agent; Clinical isolate
• ISSN: 0924-8579; 1872-7913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-8579(01)00471-X

To compare the differential antimicrobial susceptibilities of Enterococcus faecium from humans and whole chicken carcasses, MICs of 12 antimicrobial agents were determined for 54 clinical-isolates (31 vancomycin-resistant [VREF]) and 60 chicken-isolates (29 VREF). Chicken VREF were slightly but consistently more resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin and avoparcin, compared with human VREF ( P<0.01). MICs of LY333328 were ≤2 mg/l. All human VREF were resistant to erythromycin and tylosin, compared with only 58.6% of chicken VREF ( P<0.01). Streptogramins were active against all isolates except four chicken strains. MIC 90s of amoxycillin and gentamicin for human E. faecium were 8–16-fold higher than chicken isolates. Chicken VREF were significantly more resistant to tetracycline but more susceptible to chloramphenicol than human VREF ( P<0.001).