Journal article
Continuing occurrence of vancomycin resistance determinants in Danish pig farms 20 years after removing exposure to avoparcin
Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark1
Epidemiology, Division for Diagnostics & Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark2
Dynamical Systems, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark3
National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark4
Section for Microbial and Chemical Ecology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark5
Antimicrobial Agents and microbial ecology, Section for Microbial and Chemical Ecology, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark6
Bacteriology & Parasitology, Division for Diagnostics & Scientific Advice, National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark7
Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark8
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. is a major health problem worldwide and livestock have been implicated in constituting a reservoir for the transmission of vancomycin resistance to zoonotic pathogens. Vancomycin resistance determinants can be situated on mobile genetic elements and transferred between bacterial species The livestock reservoir must therefore be included in a risk assessment of the vancomycin resistance burden.
Avoparcin, a vancomycin analogue, has not been used in Danish pig production for over 20 years and vancomycin has never been used. The objective of this study was to screen faecal samples from Danish pig farms for nine selected vancomycin resistance determinants. We found at least four different vancomycin resistance determinants in all screened Danish pig farms (665 finisher farms and 78 sow farms).
The vancomycin resistance determinants present in vanB or vanG clusters were found at significantly different levels in sow and finisher farms. However, vanA was not detected in any of the farms. In conclusion, vancomycin resistance determinants are still present in Danish pig production 25 years after the ban on avoparcin use.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2019 |
| Pages: | 84-88 |
| ISSN: | 18732542 and 03781135 |
| Types: | Journal article |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.007 |
| ORCIDs: | 0000-0003-2968-5798 , Græsbøll, Kaare , Toft, Nils and Folkesson, Anders |
Animals Anti-Bacterial Agents Bacterial Proteins Carbon-Oxygen Ligases Denmark Drug Resistance, Microbial Enterococcus Farms Feces Female Livestock Microbial Sensitivity Tests VanA ligase, Bacteria VanB protein, Enterococcus VanG protein, Enterococcus faecalis Vancomycin Resistance avoparcin
