Multidrug Resistance and Virulence Factors of Enterococci Isolated from Milk and Some Dairy Desserts

Enterococci spp. bacteria especially Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium have the ability to acquire antibiotic-resistance pattern and causing life-threatening hospital-acquired infections. So, the aim of this study was to count and isolate of E. faecalis and E. faecium from milk and dairy desserts consumed in Assiut city, Egypt.

A total of 100 raw milk, ice cream, mehallabia, and milk rice samples were collected from dairies shop in Assiut city, Egypt and were bacteriologically examined for the presence and count of Enterococcus spp. Then, identification of enterococci isolates by conventional and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods, performance of antibiotic sensitivity assay, and some virulence genes in the Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) isolates were identified.

The prevalence of counted Enterococcus spp. in raw milk, ice cream, mehallabia, and milk rice samples were 76, 44, 20, and 32%, respectively. The prevalence of E. faecalis in raw milk, ice cream, mehallabia, and milk rice samples were 64, 0, 0, and 8%, while for E. faecium were 12, 44, 20, and 24%, respectively. E. faecalis isolates were resistant to vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, erythromycin, and tetracycline with the rate of 72.2, 88.9, 88.9, 94.4, and 77.8%, respectively, while for the resistance rates of E. faecium were 16, 40, 16, 84, and 20%, respectively. E. faecalis and E. faecium were MDR in rate of 88.9 and 32%, respectively.

This study revealed that milk, ice cream, mehallabia, and milk rice could be a source of enterococci to consumers in Assiut, Egypt. Moreover, E. faecalis had higher MDR and Resistant Index (RI) than E. faecium.