Distribution of acquired antibiotic resistance genes among Enterococcus spp. isolated from a hospital in Baotou, China

Yingjie Tian,
Hui Yu and
Zhanli WangEmail author

BMC Research Notes201912:27

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4064-z

Received: 7 December 2018
Accepted: 9 January 2019
Published: 15 January 2019

Abstract

Objective

This study investigated the distribution of acquired antibiotic resistance genes in Enterococcus species isolated from clinical patients in Baotou, China.

Result

A total of 73 enterococca lisolates from clinical samples were collected from December 2016 to September 2017. Of the 73 enterococcal isolates, 36 (49.3%), 35 (47.9%), 1 (1.4%), and 1 (1.4%) were identified as E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. gallinarum, and E. raffinosus, respectively. The resistance rates of the enterococci to nitrofurantoin, tetracycline, gentamicin (high-level), ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin were 24.7%, 49.3%, 50.7%, 54.8%, 74.0% and 89.0%, respectively. The most prevalent aminoglycoside resistance genes were aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia (64.9%) and aph(3′)IIIa (64.9%). The most common erythromycin ribosome methylation gene was erm(B) (67.7%), followed by erm(A) (4.6%) and erm(C) (1.5%). The tetracycline resistance gene tetM was found to be present in 100.0% of the tetracycline-resistant strains of enterococci. Thus, E. faecium and E. faecalis were identified as the species of greatest clinical importance associated with hospital-acquired enterococcal infections in Baotou, China. The antimicrobial resistance genes aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, aph(3′)IIIa, tetM, and erm(B)were significantly more prevalent among the enterococcal isolates. Therefore, action should be taken to monitor drug resistance and antimicrobial resistance genes to manage multi-drug-resistant enterococcal infections.