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Phenotypic Diversity of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Enterococci with Emphasis on Enterococcus gallinarum Carrying vanA and vanB Genes

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Abstract

The prevalence and diversity of antibiotic resistant enterococci populations in samples collected four times from urban sewage treatment plant in Tehran, Iran between June 2005 and July 2006 were studied. Filtered samples were grown on mEnterococci medium containing 4 μg/ml vancomycin after which the enterococci isolates were identified to the species level. All strains were then tested for their resistance against nine antibiotics. Of the 131 isolates, 98 (75%) isolates were identified as Enterococcus gallinarum, followed by 24 (18%) and 9 (7%) for E. faecium and E. casseliflavus, respectively. All E. gallinarum isolates carried vanC1 gene with 64 (65%) and 14 (14%) isolates concomitantly harboured either vanA or vanB gene, respectively. Some E. casseliflavus concomitantly harboured vanA and vanC2 or vanB and vanC2. Typing the total enterococci isolates with a high resolution biochemical fingerprinting method showed a high diversity (D i = 0.91). We have shown by biochemical fingerprinting the presence of highly diverse glycopeptide resistant E. gallinarum and E. casseliflavus that have captured vanA and vanB genetic determinants under natural conditions. To our knowledge this is the first report in this geographical region showing high frequency antibiotic resistant enterococcal populations in particular E. gallinarum carrying assorted vancomycin resistance genes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Patrice Courvalin from Pasteur Institute of Paris, France for providing E. faecalis V583 with vanB, E. faecium BM4147 with vanA and E. gallinarum BM4174 with vanC genotypes. This work was supported in part by the World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office grant no: R6/18/3, Swedish international development cooperation agency (Sida) grant no: 6342.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

    B. Shaghaghi, M. Talebi & M. R. Pourshafie

  2. Department of Bacteriology, School of Public Health, Tehran Medical University, Tehran, Iran

    M. Talebi

  3. Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 4558, Australia

    M. Katouli

  4. Microbiology and Tumor and Cell Biology Centre, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

    R. Möllby & I. Kühn

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  1. B. Shaghaghi
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  2. M. Talebi
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  3. M. Katouli
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  4. R. Möllby
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  5. I. Kühn
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  6. M. R. Pourshafie
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Correspondence to M. R. Pourshafie.

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Shaghaghi, B., Talebi, M., Katouli, M. et al. Phenotypic Diversity of Multiple Antibiotic Resistant Enterococci with Emphasis on Enterococcus gallinarum Carrying vanA and vanB Genes. Water Air Soil Pollut 186, 255–261 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9481-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9481-2

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