Abstract:
Aim: The study aimed to isolate and characterize Enterococcus species from
apparently healthy waste attendants, cattle and cattle waste in Tanzania.
Emphasis was given to antimicrobial resistance and in particular occurrence of
vancomycin (VA)-resistant enterococci.
Methods and Results: Faecal samples were collected from healthy cattle, cattle
waste attendants and cattle house wastes, and isolation of Enterococcus species
was performed using Slanetz Bartley agar. Isolates were characterized with
regard to species, antimicrobial susceptibility and presence of VA resistance
genes. Enterococcus faecalis was the most prevalent species from all sources of
isolation (43 5%), followed by Enterococcus faecium (38 4%). Isolates of E.
faecium showed a higher number of phenotypic antimicrobial resistance than
isolates of E. faecalis. Fifty-eight isolates, which showed resistance or
intermediate resistance to VA by disc diffusion test, were analysed for VA-
resistant Enterococcus (VRE) by PCR. The vanA gene was detected in 14
isolates of E. faecium and 12 isolates of E. faecalis, while vanB was detected in
three isolates. No isolates were found to carry vanC1-gene.
Conclusion: VRE was detected in both human and cattle samples, despite no
known use of antimicrobial agents that can select for VRE in livestock in
Tanzania. Enterococcus faecalis was the most commonly isolated species from
cattle and humans.
Significance and Impact of the Study: The study provides information on the
prevalence of VRE in human and nonhuman samples in Tanzania calling for
further studies on the origin of VRE in such isolates, since no selection
mechanism in Tanzania are known.
