J Pediatr Infect Dis 2009; 04(03): 267-274
DOI: 10.3233/JPI-2009-0190
Original Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

Genetic diversity and antibiotic resistance determinants of Enterococcus faecalis isolates causing pediatric infections in Cuba

Dianelys Quiñones
a   Department of Bacteriology-Mycology, Tropical Medicine Institute “Pedro Kourí”, Havana, Cuba
,
Deisy Marrero
b   Service of Microbiology, Pediatric Hospital “Octavio de la Concepción y la Pedraja”, Holguín, Cuba
,
Alina Llop
a   Department of Bacteriology-Mycology, Tropical Medicine Institute “Pedro Kourí”, Havana, Cuba
,
Nobumichi Kobayashi
c   Department of Hygiene, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
,
Rosa del Campo
d   Service of Microbiology, University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
› Institutsangaben

Verantwortlicher Herausgeber dieser Rubrik:
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

05. Dezember 2008

07. Februar 2009

Publikationsdatum:
28. Juli 2015 (online)

Abstract

Genetic relationships and the antibiotic resistance determinants were studied for a total of 55 Enterococcus faecalis isolates recovered from children in a pediatric hospital in Cuba between January 2001 and December 2004. These isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and presence of some resistance genes to aminoglycosides, macrolides and tetracycline were examined by polymerase chain reaction. A total of 17 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns were identified among 54 different patterns of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Particular multi-resistant E. faecalis clones were detected in different wards from the pediatric hospital. The aac(6’)-aph(2”) and aph(3’) genes was detected in all the isolates with high-level resistance to gentamicin and amikacin, respectively, whereas the ant(6) gene was detected in the 75% of isolates showing high-level resistance to streptomycin. The erm(B) gene was found in 72% of the erythromycin-resistant strains, and tet(M) was detected in all tetracycline resistant strains. The circulation of particular clones exhibiting antibiotic resistance in the pediatric hospital and the dissemination of drug-resistance genes among these strains indicated the need for the monitoring of antibiotic susceptibility to prevent the selection or dispersion of resistant strains in this hospital.