Resistance towards Critically Important Antimicrobials among Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium in Poultry Farm Environments in Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

Multidrug resistant (MDR) enterococci pose significant public health challenges. However, the extent of resistance in the environment is less explored. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance in a poultry farm environment. Eighty enterococcal isolates recovered from the soil and effluent water of 28 poultry farms in Selangor state were included in the study for further bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing using a VITEK 2 system. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. The resistance rate and MDR of enterococcal isolates were reported. Out of 80 isolates recovered, 72 (90%) exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic, with 50 isolates (62.5%) being found to be MDR. All linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) exhibit MDR, which constituted 40% of resistance among all the isolates recovered from poultry environment. Since linezolid is listed as critically important antibiotics for clinical use by the World Health Organization (WHO), the higher resistance towards it and other critically important antibiotic for human use is a serious concern. Hence, relevant agencies need to investigate the use of clinically important antimicrobials in poultry farms paying special attention towards linezolid or any other antibiotics that can facilitate the development of LRE.

Antibiotic Resistance and Biofilm Formation in Enterococcus spp. Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections

“…Chow [34] stated that all the enterococci tested exhibited a modest inherent resistance to aminoglycosides, including gentamicin, which was regarded as the most often recommended aminoglycoside for enterococci infections. Comparable observations by Maschieto et al [35], Rajendiran et al [36], and Wei et al [37] revealed a moderate level of resistance to streptomycin. sistance (18.18%) regarding the E. faecium strains; the maximum resistance rate (100%) was seen for tetracycline and erythromycin, while the lowest resistance rate (12.5%) was observed for streptomycin (Figure 1B).…”

“…Chow [34] stated that all the enterococci tested exhibited a modest inherent resistance to aminoglycosides, including gentamicin, which was regarded as the most often recommended aminoglycoside for enterococci infections. Comparable observations by Maschieto et al [35], Rajendiran et al [36], and Wei et al [37] revealed a moderate level of resistance to streptomycin. MDR Enterococcus sp.…”

Situational analysis on fluoroquinolones use and characterization of high-level ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis by integrated broiler operations in South Korea

“…In particular, the ability to cause infection is critical to avoid the action of most commonly used antimicrobials. Recently, antimicrobial-resistant enterococci isolated from poultry farms have become a problem in many countries, including Korea (34)(35)(36)(37), because antimicrobialresistant enterococci can easily spread within pathogenic strains or between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains (38). Moreover, resistance to fluoroquinolones, which are critically important in human medicine, has been continuously reported worldwide (39).…”

Insights into the novel Enterococcus faecalis phage: A comprehensive genome analysis

“…The rise in antibiotic resistance among Enterococcus species, particularly E. faecalis, underscores the urgent need for the development of new anti-infective therapies [6][7][8]. The surge in antibiotic-resistant E. faecalis strains has increased the urgency for innovative therapeutic approaches, prompting keen interest in phage-based interventions [9][10][11]. This burgeoning interest stems from the demonstrated efficacy of phage therapy (PT) in exerting lytic activity against diverse antibiotic-resistant E. faecalis isolates [12][13][14], thus providing a promising alternative treatment [13].…”

“…The surge in antibiotic-resistant E . faecalis strains has increased the urgency for innovative therapeutic approaches, prompting keen interest in phage-based interventions [ 9 – 11 ]. This burgeoning interest stems from the demonstrated efficacy of phage therapy (PT) in exerting lytic activity against diverse antibiotic-resistant E .…”