TY - JOUR
T1 - Spread of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis within the household setting
AU - Leite-Martins, Liliana
AU - Meireles, Diana
AU - Bessa, Lucinda J.
AU - Mendes, Ângelo
AU - De Matos, Augusto J.
AU - Martins Da Costa, Paulo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2014.
PY - 2014/10/1
Y1 - 2014/10/1
N2 - Advances in veterinary medicine have resulted in the survival of many animals with severe illness or infectious diseases. In addition, increased usage of antimicrobial agents for veterinary purposes has contributed to the worldwide problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance. The objective of this study was to contribute to better understand the potential and implications for the spread of antimicrobial-resistant enterococci between pets receiving antimicrobial treatments and their owners. Three household aggregates (HA A, B, and C) were selected for this study. Information was collected on individual and clinical parameters of both humans and animals that cohabit. For this study, samples of feces, oral secretions, skin and fur of pets, as well as owners' feces and hands and exposed household surfaces and objects were also collected. All enterococci isolates were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility. Based on the antimicrobial resistance patterns and origin of isolates, ERIC-PCR analysis was performed on selected isolates to evaluate phylogenetic relationships. In all three HA, Enterococcus faecalis clonal spread was detected between pets and the respective owners, confirming the in-home interanimal species dissemination. Additionally, fecal enterococci colonization of other body parts of the same animal and dissemination of those same enterococci to household surfaces and objects were also observed. Our results demonstrate that enterococcal clones were found in pets in multiple body sites, their human cohabitants, and shared domestic objects.
AB - Advances in veterinary medicine have resulted in the survival of many animals with severe illness or infectious diseases. In addition, increased usage of antimicrobial agents for veterinary purposes has contributed to the worldwide problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance. The objective of this study was to contribute to better understand the potential and implications for the spread of antimicrobial-resistant enterococci between pets receiving antimicrobial treatments and their owners. Three household aggregates (HA A, B, and C) were selected for this study. Information was collected on individual and clinical parameters of both humans and animals that cohabit. For this study, samples of feces, oral secretions, skin and fur of pets, as well as owners' feces and hands and exposed household surfaces and objects were also collected. All enterococci isolates were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibility. Based on the antimicrobial resistance patterns and origin of isolates, ERIC-PCR analysis was performed on selected isolates to evaluate phylogenetic relationships. In all three HA, Enterococcus faecalis clonal spread was detected between pets and the respective owners, confirming the in-home interanimal species dissemination. Additionally, fecal enterococci colonization of other body parts of the same animal and dissemination of those same enterococci to household surfaces and objects were also observed. Our results demonstrate that enterococcal clones were found in pets in multiple body sites, their human cohabitants, and shared domestic objects.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84907458333&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/mdr.2013.0217
DO - 10.1089/mdr.2013.0217
M3 - Article
C2 - 24617521
AN - SCOPUS:84907458333
SN - 1076-6294
VL - 20
SP - 501
EP - 507
JO - Microbial Drug Resistance
JF - Microbial Drug Resistance
IS - 5
ER -