Diffusione di enterococchi vancomicina-resistenti in prodotti carnei

Abstract

In this research some potential sources of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were analysed. A total of 43 strains were isolated from samples of raw and processed meat products. VRE could be detected after an enrichment in TSYE supplemented with vancomycin in 75% of samples which contained enterococci. Most strains belonged to Enterococcus faecium species, as determined by traditional physiological tests, and by SARA-PCR and species-specific PCR assays, and the remaining to E. faecalis and E. durans species. All the VRE isolates, identified as E. faecium (17 strains) and E. faecalis (3 strains), were highly resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin (>64 \u3bcg/mL) and harboured the vanA gene, as shown by PCR