| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 886-1 | ||||
Resumo:The Enterococcus is capable of causing various infections such as urinary tract and skin infections, endocarditis, and sepsis. In fact, it is the third most prevalent pathogen worldwide in hospital infections, largely due to its ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance, particularly against vancomycin. The study conducted at the Brazilian veterinary medical teaching hospital of the University of the State of Santa Catarina (CAV-UDESC) focused on the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus strains in dogs and cats. Samples were collected from animals hospitalized for more than two days, regardless of the reason for hospitalization. The swabs were moistened with sterile 0.85% saline solution before collection. Subsequently, the samples were placed in tubes containing Enterococcosel broth supplemented with 6mcg of vancomycin. After 48 hours of incubation, the tubes with Enterococcosel broth and vancomycin that exhibited a dark coloration were cultured on 5% sheep blood agar with vancomycin discs placed at the center of the plate. Samples that grew on the blood agar and formed halos equal to or smaller than 17 cm were subjected to the Gram test to confirm the presence of Gram-positive cocci, in addition to the catalase test to identify microorganisms belonging to the Enterococcus genus. Among the 81 dogs and 25 cats examined, 30.8% (n = 25) of the dogs and 52% (n = 13) of the cats showed isolation of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREfs) from rectal swabs. Additionally, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) was isolated from 6.2% (n = 5) of the dogs, Enterococcus gallinarum group (VREgg) from 4.9% (n = 4) of the dogs, and 4% (n = 1) of the cats. Two dogs were simultaneously colonized by VREfs and VREfm. Of the 46 animals (32 dogs and 14 cats), 18 showed colonization with VRE only during their hospitalization at the veterinary hospital, 17 were colonized during the collection after discharge, and 12 showed colonization in both collections, this accounted for a total of 59 samples. Comparing the findings with previous studies, the prevalence of VRE in cats was reported to be 12.3%, while in dogs, it was 18.2%. However, the current study revealed a higher prevalence of 53% in dogs and 39.5% in cats. Another significant finding was that 34.78% (n = 16) of the animals colonized by VRE were healthy animals that underwent castration procedures. The colonization of VRE in small animals poses concerns due to their frequent contact with humans, raising worries about the potential spread of these microorganisms in the environment. In veterinary hospitals, the lack of a Hospital Infection Control Commission hampers the detection of multi-resistant microorganisms, increasing the risk of infections among hospitalized animals. Moreover, healthcare professionals are exposed to these agents, which can also cause nosocomial infections in humans. Palavras-chave: Small animals, Vancomycin, Veterinary hospital, VRE Agência de fomento:Fapesc | |||||