Short communication: Species distribution and antibiotic resistance of enterococci isolated from cattle farmers and cattles

The aim of this study was to detect the species distribution and antibiotic resistance of enterococci with a special view for vancomycin resistance, isolated from stool and rectal swab samples of cattle farmers and cattles in Denizli region, Turkey. All the specimens were inoculated onto Enterococcosel agar plate and into Enterococcosel broth supplemented with and without vancomycin (6 μg/ml). The agar plates were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, while broth cultures were incubated at 37°C for 48 hours. Enterococcus spp. were isolated from 96 (86.4%) of 111 farmers' and 65 (90.2%) of 72 cattles' specimens. The most commonly isolated species from both humans and animals were E.faecalis (39.6% and %32.3%, respectively), E.faecium (28.1% and 24.6%, respectively) and E.raffinosus (8.3% and 13.8%, respectively). None of the isolates were found to be resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin. One high-level streptomycin (300 μg) resistant E.faecium, and six (2 E.faecalis, 2 E.durans, 2 E.hirae) high-level gentamicin (120 μg) resistant strains have been isolated from the specimens of cattle farmers and cattles, respectively. There was no significant difference between the rectal swabs and stool specimens for the isolation of Enterococcus spp. (p>0.05). Enterococcosel broth was found to be more sensitive than Enterococcosel agar for the isolation of Enterococcus spp. (p=0.001). It was concluded that the lack of vancomycin resistant enterococci may be related to the prohibition of avoparcin use in our country