Enterococci can be found in unprocessed and ready-to-eat farm produce. The extensive use of antimicrobials in agricultural practices has influenced natural selection in Enterococci. Human consumers can be infected with these antibiotic-resistant strains with resulting clinical complications. In this study, the resistance and virulence potential of Enterococcus spp. from farm animals and food-vegetables in Ekiti, Nigeria was investigated. Ninety-six samples: poultry rectal swabs (n = 35), swine faecal droppings (n = 18) and vegetables (n= 43) were processed for the isolation of Enterococcus spp. Isolated Enterococcus spp. were further identified by different biochemical tests. Susceptibility to antibiotics was investigated using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test on Mueller Hinton agar. A total number of 118 isolates were obtained from which 96 (81%) Enterococciwere recovered, with 63 (66%) E. faecium, while 33 (34%) were identified as other species. Twenty-eight (28%) of the isolates tested were susceptible to Augmentin; resistance to cloxacillin was observed among all isolates while resistance to gentamicin, ofloxacin, vancomycin and erythromycin was observed among 97%, 82%, 75%, and 72%, respectively. Thirty-nine (41%) exhibited the ability to produce biofilms. Ninety-three (97%) isolates expressed multiple drug resistance to three or more antimicrobials with 15 different antimicrobial resistance patterns. AUG/CXC/ERY/GEN/OFL/VAN was the most predominant (n = 36) resistant pattern. This study therefore, emphasises farm animals and food-vegetables to be important carriers of Enterococcus spp., with a high prevalence of multidrug resistance, which could be transferred through the food chain implicatively serving as threat to the public health.
Ajayi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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