The emergence of antimicrobial resistance in enterococci isolates from infants: A review study

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in potential bacterial pathogens is considered as an important consequence of antibiotic misuse and overuse in humans and animals husbandry. In addition,  lacks of adequate infection-control practice in hospital and medical care settings have led to the continuing development of extensive resistance problems worldwide. Certain multidrug-resistant commensal and potential pathogens are now   widely spread in community and hospital patients worldwide . Examples are meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistance enterococcci (VRE), extended-spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing coliforms, and toxin-hyperproducing Clostridium difficile. During the last decade, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are the most prevalent species cultured from human infections. Incidence of enterococci resistant to multiple antibiotics has become increasingly common in the hospitalized patients all over the world. E. faecium is reported to be responsible for most vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections.Â

Antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors of Enterococci colonizing intestinal tract of infants

Aim: This study investigated distribution of enterococci colonizing intestinal tract of infants and  has determined their putative virulence factors and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods:  A total of 82/186 (44.1%) fecal enterococcal isolates were recovered from infants. All enterococci isolates were identified either E. faecalis or E. faecium  using culture and PCR. Results: A significant higher intestinal colonization of  enterococci was detected among non-hospitalized compared to hospitalized patients with a percentage of  (72 % vs. 28%), respectively . E.faecalis was the predominant species in both groups (75.6%). It had also significantly higher virulence factors genes than E. faecium ,while  E. faecium had higher rates of antimicrobial resistance than E.faecalis. Conclusion: This study shows significantly higher rate of intestinal colonization of  E.faecalis than E. faecium  of hospitalized and non-hospitalized infants, and  E.faecalis carried significantly higher potential virulence genes than E. faecium. Key word: Fecal enterococci, Infants, Antimicrobial resistance, Virulence factorsShort title: Fecal ent