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14163 Berlin
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lebensmittelhygiene@vetmed.fu-berlin.de / fleischhygiene@vetmed.fu-berlin.de
The objective of this study was to demonstrate the incidence and resistance behaviour of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), as well as the connections between the different types of resistance to glycopeptide and the use of Avoparcin (glycopeptide used as performance booster) in livestock production. To collect data on a spectrum as wide as possible, samples were taken from poultry houses, slaughterhouses and carcasses. From the various areas 223 samples were taken and 281 VRE strains were isolated. The species were identified in line with culture-morphological, biochemical and serological criteria. Once this was done, the glycopeptide sensitivity was tested by means of the microdilution method. 60.1% of all samples proved to be VRE positive, 87.8% of all samples originated from conventional large-scale farms and 30.5% of all samples from small scale farms. The VRE isolates were exclusively Enterococcus faecium strains with high-level resistance behaviour. In relation to the bacterial contamination (total viable count, Enterobacteriaceae and enterococcus) samples from conventional production in general were less contaminated than those derived from ecological operations