Distribution of acquired antibiotic resistance genes among Enterococcus spp. isolated from a hospital in Baotou, China

• Published in: BMC research notes Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 27
• Main Authors: Tian, Yingjie, Yu, Hui, Wang, Zhanli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 15.01.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Aminoglycoside antibiotics; Aminoglycosides; Ampicillin; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotic resistance gene; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacterial genetics; Ciprofloxacin; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA methylation; Drug resistance; Enterococcal infections; Enterococcus; Enzymes; Erythromycin; Genes; Gentamicin; Hospitals; Infection; Infections; Medical research; Methylation; Microbial drug resistance; Nitrofurantoin; Penicillins; Public health; Research Note; Tetracyclines; Iran; Beijing China; China; Enterococcus; Infection; Drug resistance; Antibiotic resistance gene
• ISSN: 1756-0500; 1756-0500
• DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4064-z

This study investigated the distribution of acquired antibiotic resistance genes in Enterococcus species isolated from clinical patients in Baotou, China. A total of 73 enterococca lisolates from clinical samples were collected from December 2016 to September 2017. Of the 73 enterococcal isolates, 36 (49.3%), 35 (47.9%), 1 (1.4%), and 1 (1.4%) were identified as E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. gallinarum, and E. raffinosus, respectively. The resistance rates of the enterococci to nitrofurantoin, tetracycline, gentamicin (high-level), ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin were 24.7%, 49.3%, 50.7%, 54.8%, 74.0% and 89.0%, respectively. The most prevalent aminoglycoside resistance genes were aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia (64.9%) and aph(3')IIIa (64.9%). The most common erythromycin ribosome methylation gene was erm(B) (67.7%), followed by erm(A) (4.6%) and erm(C) (1.5%). The tetracycline resistance gene tetM was found to be present in 100.0% of the tetracycline-resistant strains of enterococci. Thus, E. faecium and E. faecalis were identified as the species of greatest clinical importance associated with hospital-acquired enterococcal infections in Baotou, China. The antimicrobial resistance genes aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, aph(3')IIIa, tetM, and erm(B) were significantly more prevalent among the enterococcal isolates. Therefore, action should be taken to monitor drug resistance and antimicrobial resistance genes to manage multi-drug-resistant enterococcal infections.