Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart overcome multiple stresses occurring in the poultry production chain: Antibiotics, copper and acids

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109981
• Publication Date: 2022-10-14T17:11:11Z
• Authors: Andreia Rebelo; Bárbara Duarte; Carolina Ferreira; Joana Mourão; Sofia Ribeiro; Ana R. Freitas; Teresa M. Coque; Rob Willems; Jukka Corander; Luísa Peixe; Patrícia Antunes; Carla Novais
• Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis; Quinupristin; Dalfopristin; Enterococcus faecium

Poultry meat has been a vehicle of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. Yet, the diversity selective pressures associated with their maintenance in poultry-production chain remains poorly explored. We evaluated susceptibility Enterococcus spp. from chicken collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH peracetic acid-PAA. Contemporary chicken-meat samples (n = 53 batches, each including pool neck skin 10 single carcasses) were slaughterhouse facility using PAA as disinfectant (March-August 2018, North Portugal). Broilers raised intensive farms 29) CuSO4 organic acids feed additives. Data compared that 67 recovered same region during 1999-2001. All 2018 had multidrug resistant-MDR isolates, >45 % carrying faecalis, faecium or gallinarum tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol aminoglycosides. Resistance rates similar (P > 0.05) those 1999-2001 for all but five antibiotics. The decrease vancomycin-resistant isolates 46 0 between was most striking difference. Isolates both periods similarly susceptible acid [minimum-growth (4.5-5.0), minimum-survival (3.0-4.0)] (MIC90 100-120 mg/L/MBC90 140-160 mg/L; below concentrations used slaughterhouse). Copper tolerance genes (tcrB and/or cueO) respectively detected 21 4 samples. tcrB gene only E. faecalis (MICCuSO4 12 mM), genomes other international ones origin (PATRIC database), revealing polyclonal population plasmid chromosomal location tcrB. plasmids shared diverse genetic modules, multiple antimicrobial resistance (e.g. tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-MLSB, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, coccidiostats). When chromosome, co-located closely merA (mercury) Chicken an important MDR able survive under stresses copper, acid) potentially contributing these flux among animal-environment-humans.