Abstract
This study aimed to show the vancomycin-resistant enterococci VRE contamination and antibiotic resistance profiles of Enterococcus spp. in different kinds of food acquired from various markets between January 2007 and June 2007. Two hundred samples were used in the research. They consisted of 50 samples of meat (20 chicken, 20 beef, 10 fish), 50 samples of cheese (20 cheddar, 20 Turkish white, 10 cream), 50 samples of RTE (10 burgers, 10 pizzas, 10 chicken nuggets, 10 milk deserts, 5 beef roast and 5 salads), 30 samples of spice (10 black pepper, 10 red pepper, 10 curry) and 20 samples of yogurt. The results of the study indicated high levels of contamination with Enterococcus spp. in 100 of all the samples (50 %). The highest resistance was recorded for a cream cheese sample, with resistance to 12 types of antibiotics. The lowest resistance was in a chicken sample, with resistance to 2 types of antibiotics. Only 4 strains were identified as vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), four of which were E. faecalis and originated from chicken. The results of this study underline the public health implications of VRE and the urgency about the preventive measures that must be taken to control the antibiotic use at farm level.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
