engleski

Incidence of infections caused by Enterococcus spp. in animals

Bacteria of the genus Enterococcus are physiological intestinal inhabitants of many animals, but as opportunistic pathogens they can cause a variety of infections. Enterococci are often involved in mixed infections, so their pathogenic role is difficult to interpret and also tends to be neglected. They have innate resistance to some commonly used antimicrobial drugs and a great ability to acquire new resistance mechanisms, which can lead to multidrug resistance. In animals, the most common enterococcal infections are urinary tract infections, followed by intra-abdominal and wound infections. This study investigated the incidence of infections caused by Enterococcus spp. over a two-year period (January 2019 - December 2020). Clinical samples from animals were submitted for microbiological examination to Bacteriology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. Bacterial species were identified according to standard laboratory procedures. Gram-positive and catalase-negative cocci with visible growth on kanamycin aesculin agar (black colonies) were characterized as Enterococcus spp. and included in this study. Of 1817 different clinical specimens, 806 (44%) were positive for bacterial growth. Enterococcus spp. was isolated from 49 (6%) specimens. Among the various clinical specimens, urine culture yielded the highest number of enterococci isolates (38%), followed by wound swabs (18%) and vaginal swabs (14%). In 53% of the samples, Enterococcus spp. was the only bacterial species found. In recent decades, enterococci have emerged as an important human pathogen, particularly in nosocomial infections caused by multidrug resistant isolates. It is important to raise awareness of enterococci as the primary causative agent of animal infections, especially because of the close contact between animals and humans. Appropriate surveillance and control measures are crucial to prevent occurrence and transmission of resistant enterococci from animals to humans.

Enterococcus ; animals ; incidence

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