Identification and evaluation of antimicrobial resistance of enterococci isolated from raw ewes’ and cows’ milk collected in western Sicily: a preliminary investigation


Submitted: 16 July 2019
Accepted: 4 February 2020
Published: 19 January 2021
Abstract Views: 518
PDF: 336
HTML: 6
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

The present work was carried out to investigate the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) of enterococci isolated from raw ewes’ and cows’ milk. The samples were collected from eighteen semi-extensive dairy sheep and cow farms throughout western Sicily. Plate counts, carried out on Rapid Enterococcus Agar commonly used to detect food enterococci, revealed a maximal enterococcal concentration of approximately 4.58 Log Colony Forming Unit (CFU)/mL. Colonies were isolated and differentiated based on genetic analysis by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. Thirty-eight different strains were identified. Analysis by a species-specific multiplex PCR assay grouped the strains into three Enterococcus species such as Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. The 38 strains were also investigated for their antimicrobial resistance by a phenotypic approach. All 38 Enterococcus displayed resistance to at least one or more of the antimicrobials tested confirmed that the dairy enterococci could be a vector for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. This work showed that enterococci with AMR traits are commonly present in semiextensive dairy sheep and cow farms of western Sicily pointed out the relevance of informing dairy makers and veterinary regarding the antimicrobial use in order to mitigate problems of public health and veterinary medicine.


Allington DR, Rivey MP, 2001. Quinupristin/dalfopristin: a therapeutic review. Clin Ther 23:24-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2918(01)80028-X

Çitak S, Yucel N, Orhan S, 2004. Antibiotic resistance and incidence of Enterococcus species in Turkish white cheese. Int J Dairy Technol 57:27-31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0307.2004.00122.x

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2017. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: 27th ed. CLSI Supplement M100. Wayne, PA: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

Chow JW, 2000. Aminoglycoside resistance in enterococci. Clin Infect Dis 31:586-89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/313949

Cruciata M, Gaglio R, Scatassa ML, Sala G, Cardamone C, Palmeri M, Moschetti G, La Mantia T, Settanni L, 2018. Formation and characterization of early bacterial biofilms on different wood typologies applied in dairy production. Appl Environ Microbiol 84:e02107-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02107-17

Cruciata M, Gaglio R, Todaro M, Settanni L, 2019. Ecology of Vastedda della valle del Belìce cheeses: A review and recent findings to stabilize the traditional production. Food Rev Int 35:90-103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/87559129.2018.1469142

EFSA BIOHAZ Panel (EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards). Update of the list of QPS-recommended biological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 4: Suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until March 2016. EFSA J 2016; 14:4522. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4522

Fernández L, Langa S, Martín V, Maldonado A, Jiménez E, Martín R, Rodríguez JM, 2012. The human milk microbiota: origin and potential roles in health and disease. Pharmacol Res 69:1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2012.09.001

Foulquié Moreno M, Sarantinopoulos P, Tsakalidou E, De Vuyst L, 2006. The role and application of enterococci in food and health. Int J Food Microbiol 106:1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2005.06.026

Franciosi E, Settanni L, Cologna N, Cavazza A, Poznanski E, 2011. Microbial analysis of raw cows’ milk used for cheese-making: influence of storage treatments on microbial composition and other technological traits. World J Microb Biot 27:171-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-010-0443-2

Franz CM, Holzapfel WH, Stiles ME, 1999. Enterococci at the crossroads of food safety? Int J Food Microbiol 47:1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1605(99)00007-0

Gaglio R, Francesca N, Maniaci G, Corona O, Alfonzo A, Giosuè C, Di Noto AM, Cardamone C, Sardina MT, Portolano B, Alabiso M, 2016a. Valorization of indigenous dairy cattle breed through salami production. Meat Sci 114:58-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2015.12.014

Gaglio R, Couto N, Marques C, Lopes MDFS, Moschetti G, Pomba C, Settanni L, 2016b. Evaluation of antimicrobial resistance and virulence of enterococci from equipment surfaces, raw materials, and traditional cheeses. Int J Food Microbiol 236:107-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2016.07.020

Gaglio R, Francesca N, Di Gerlando R, Mahony J, De Martino S, Stucchi C, Moschetti G, Settanni L, 2017. Enteric bacteria of food ice and their survival in alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. Food Microbiol 67:17-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.04.020

Gaglio R, Cruciata M, Scatassa ML, Tolone M, Mancuso I, Cardamone C, Corona O, Todaro M, Settanni L, 2019a. Influence of the early bacterial biofilms developed on vats made with seven wood types on PDO Vastedda della valle del Belìce cheese characteristics. Int J Food Microbiol 291:91-103 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.11.017

Gaglio R., Todaro M., Scatassa ML, Franciosi E, Corona O, Mancuso I, Di Gerlando R, Cardamone C, Settanni L, 2019b. Transformation of raw ewes’ milk applying “Grana” type pressed cheese technology: Development of extra-hard “Gran Ovino” cheese. Int J Food Microbiol 307:108277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108277

Giraffa G, 2002. Enterococci from foods. FEMS Rev. Microbiol 26:163-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6976.2002.tb00608.x

Guarcello R, De Angelis, M, Settanni L, Formiglio S, Gaglio R, Minervini F, Moschetti G, Gobbetti M, 2016a. Selection of amine-oxidizing dairy lactic acid bacteria and identification of the enzyme and gene involved in the decrease of biogenic amines. Appl Environ Microbiol 82:6870-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01051-16

Guarcello R, Carpino S, Gaglio R, Pino A, Rapisarda T, Caggia C, Marino G, Randazzo CL, Settanni L, Todaro M, 2016b. A large factory-scale application of selected autochthonous lactic acid bacteria for PDO Pecorino Siciliano cheese production. Food Microbiol 59:66-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2016.05.011

Guzman Prieto AM, van Schaik W, Rogers MR, Coque TM, Baquero F, Corander J, Willems RJ, 2016. Global emergence and dissemination of enterococci as nosocomial pathogens: attack of the clones? Front Microbiol 7:788. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.00788

Hammad AM, Hassan HA, Shimamoto T, 2015. Prevalence, antibiotic resistance and virulence of Enterococcus spp. in Egyptian fresh raw milk cheese. Food Control 50:815-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.10.020

Jackson CR, Fedorka-Cray PJ, Barrett JB, 2004. Use of a genus- and species-specific multiplex PCR for identification of enterococci. J Clin Microbiol 42:3558–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.42.8.3558-3565.2004

Kang II-B, Kim DH, Chon JW, Seo KH, 2017. Effect of microbial control measures on farmstead cheesmaking and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. isolates. J Food Saf 38:e12432. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfs.12432

Licitra G, Ogier JC, Parayre S, Pediliggieri C, Carnemolla TM, Falentin H, Maden MN, Carpino S, Lortal S, 2007. Variability of bacterial biofilms of the “tina” wood vats used in the Ragusano cheese-making process. Appl Environ Microbiol 73:6980-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00835-07

Macaluso G, Fiorenza G, Gaglio R, Mancuso I, Scatassa ML, 2016. In vitro evaluation of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated during traditional Sicilian cheese making. Ital J Food Saf 5:5503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2016.5503

Mannu L, Paba A, Daga E, Comunian R, Zanetti S, Dupre` I, Sechi LA, 2003. Comparison of the incidence of virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance between Enterococcus faecium strains of dairy, animal and clinical origin. Int J Food Microbiol 88:291-304. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1605(03)00191-0

Russo N, Caggia C, Pino A, Coque TM, Arioli S, Randazzo CL, 2018. Enterococcus spp. In Ragusano PDO and Pecorino Siciliano cheese types: a snapshot of their antibiotic resistance distribution. Food Chem Toxicol 120: 277-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2018.07.023

Scatassa ML, Gaglio R, Cardamone C, Macaluso G, Arcuri L, Todaro M, Mancuso I, 2017. Anti-Listeria activity of lactic acid bacteria in two traditional Sicilian cheeses. Ital J Food Saf 6:13-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2017.6191

Silvetti T, Morandi S, Brasca M, 2019. Does Enterococcus faecalis from traditional raw milk cheeses serve as reservoir of antibiotic resistance and pathogenic traits? Foodborne Pathog Dis 16:359-67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2018.2542

Sitzia M, Bonanno A, Todaro M, Cannas A, Atzori AS, Francesconi AHD, Trabalza-Marinucci M, 2015. Feeding and management techniques to favour summer sheep milk and cheese production in the Mediterranean environment. Small Rumin Res 126:43-58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2015.01.021

1.
Palmeri M, Mancuso I, Gaglio R, Arcuri L, Barreca S, Barbaccia P, Scatassa ML. Identification and evaluation of antimicrobial resistance of enterococci isolated from raw ewes’ and cows’ milk collected in western Sicily: a preliminary investigation. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2021 Jan. 19 [cited 2024 Apr. 26];9(4). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/8406

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations


Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.