Draft genome sequences of clinical mastitis-associated Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium carrying multiple antimicrobial resistance genes isolated from dairy cows.
The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant and mastitis-associated Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium is of great concern due to the huge economic losses associated with enterococcal infections. Here we report the draft genome sequences of E. faecalis and E. faecium strains that were isolated from raw milk samples obtained from mastitis-infected cows in Bangladesh.
The two strains were isolated, identified, and genomic DNA was sequenced using the Illumina NextSeq 550 platform. The assembled contigs were analysed for virulence, antimicrobial resistance genes, and multilocus sequence type. The genomes were compared to previously reported E. faecalis and E. faecium genomes to generate core genome phylogenetic trees.
E. faecalis strain BR-MHR218Efa and E. faecium strain BR-MHR268Efe belonged to multilocus sequence types ST-190 and ST-22, respectively, both of which appear to represent relatively rare sequence types. BR-MHR268Efe harboured only one antibiotic resistance gene encoding resistance towards macrolides (lsa(A)), while BR-MHR218Efa harboured ten different antibiotic resistance genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides (ant[6]-Ia, aph(3')-III), sulphonamides (aac(6')-II), lincosamides (lnu(B)), macrolides (erm(B)), MLSB antibiotics (msr(C)), tetracyclines (tet(M), tet(L)), trimethoprim (dfrG), and pleuromutilin-lincosamide-streptogramin A (lsa(E)). Virulence gene composition was different between the two isolates. BR-MHR218Efa harboured only two virulence genes involved in adherence (acm and scm). BR-MHR268Efe harboured eight complete virulence operons including three operons involved in adherence (Ace, Ebp pili, and EfaA), two operons involved in biofilm formation (BopD and Fsr), and three exoenzymes (gelatinase, hyaluronidase, SprE).
The genome sequences of the strains BR-MHR268Efe and BR-MHR218Efa will serve as a reference point for molecular epidemiological studies of mastitis-associated E. faecalis and E. faecium. Additionally, the findings will help understand the complex antimicrobial-resistance in livestock-assoiated Enterococci.
Rahman MH
,El Zowalaty ME
,Falgenhauer L
,Khan MFR
,Alam J
,Popy NN
,Rahman MB
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Genome analysis of multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis circulating among hospitalized patients in uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are important pathogens categorized as high-priority bacteria in the Global Priority List of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Guide Research, Discovery, and Development of New Antibiotics published by the World Health Organization. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors, resistance, virulence, mobilomes associated with multidrug-resistant and clonal lineages of Enterococcus faecium and faecalis circulating among hospitalized patients following the health system in South Africa, using whole genome sequencing (WGS).
A cross-sectional study was conducted during a two-month periods among hospitalized patients in 2017. Rectal swabs were collected from patients admitted to medical and surgical wards in an urban tertiary hospital, and a rural district hospital in uMgungundlovu district, South Africa. Enterococci were screened for vancomycin resistance on bile esculin azide agar supplemented with 6 mg/L of vancomycin and confirmation of VRE was done using ROSCO kits. Conventional and real-time PCR methods were used to ascertain the presence of VanA, VanB, VanC-2/3 and VanC-1 genes. All six multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and faecium selected were identified using multiplexed paired-end libraries (2 × 300 bp) with the Nextera XT DNA sample preparation kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and genome sequencing was done using Illumina MiSeq instrument with 100× coverage at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases Sequencing Core Facility, South Africa. Antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, plasmids, integrons and CRISPR were characterized using RAST, ResFinder, VirulenceFinder, PlasmidFinder, PHAST and ISFinder respectively.
Sequencing analysis revealed that these strains harbouring numerous resistance genes to glycopeptides (vanC[100%], vex3[100%], vex2[83,33%] and vanG[16,66%]), macrolides, lincosamides, sterptogramine B (ermB[33,32%], Isa[16,66%], emeA[16,66%]) and tetracyclines (tetM[33,32%]) in both district and tertiary hospitals. Multidrug efflux pumps including MATE, MFS and pmrA conferring resistance to several classes of antibiotics were also identified. The main transposable elements observed were in the Tn3 family, specifically Tn1546. Four single sequence types (STs) were identified among E. faecium in the district hospital, namely ST822, ST636, ST97 along with a novel ST assigned ST1386, while one lineage, ST29 was detected in the tertiary hospital.
The study reveals the genetic diversity and high pathogenicity of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and faecium circulating among hospitalized patients. It underlines the necessity to implement routine screening of admitted patients coupled with infection control procedures, antimicrobial stewardship and awareness should be strengthened to prevent and/or contain the carriage and spread of multidrug resistant E. faecium and E. faecalis in hospitals and communities in South Africa.
Founou RC
,Founou LL
,Allam M
,Ismail A
,Essack SY
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《BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES》
Whole genome sequence analyses-based assessment of virulence potential and antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from commercial swine and cattle probiotic products.
Enterococcus faecium is one of the more commonly used bacterial species as a probiotic in animals. The organism, a common inhabitant of the gut of animals and humans, is a major nosocomial pathogen responsible for a variety infections in humans and sporadic infections in animals. In swine and cattle, E. faecium-based probiotic products are used for growth promotion and gut functional and health benefits. The objective of this study was to utilize whole genome sequence-based analysis to assess virulence potential, detect antimicrobial resistance genes, and analyze phylogenetic relationships of E. faecium strains from commercial swine and cattle probiotics. Genomic DNA extracted from E. faecium strains, isolated from commercial probiotic products of swine (n = 9) and cattle (n = 13), were sequenced in an Illumina MiSeq platform and analyzed. Seven of the nine swine strains and seven of the 13 cattle strains were identified as Enterococcus lactis, and not as E. faecium. None of the 22 probiotic strains carried major virulence genes required to initiate infections, but many carried genes involved in adhesion to host cells, which may benefit the probiotic strains to colonize and persist in the gut. Strains also carried genes encoding resistance to a few medically important antibiotics, which included aminoglycosides [aac(6')-Ii, aph(3')-III, ant(6)-Ia], macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin B (msrC), tetracyclines [tet(L) and tet(M)], and phenicols [cat-(pc194)]. The comparison of the genotypic to phentypic AMR data showed presence of both related and unrelated genes in the probiotic strains. Swine and cattle probiotic E. faecium strains belonged to diverse sequence types. Phylogenetic analysis of the probiotic strains, and strains of human (n = 29), swine (n = 4), and cattle (n = 4) origin, downloaded from GenBank, indicated close clustering of strains belonging to the same species and source, but a few swine and cattle probiotic strains clustered closely with other cattle and human fecal strains. In conclusion, the absence of major virulence genes characteristic of the clinical E. faecium strains suggests that these probiotic strains are unlikely to initiate opportunistic infection. However, the carriage of AMR genes to medically important antibiotics and close clustering of the probiotic strains with other human and cattle fecal strains suggests that probiotic strains may pose risk to serve as a source of transmitting AMR genes to other gut bacteria.
Shridhar PB
,Amachawadi RG
,Tokach M
,Patel I
,Gangiredla J
,Mammel M
,Nagaraja TG
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