Kocatepe Veterinary Journal, vol.15, no.4, pp.381-389, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Enterococcus spp., resistance profiles, and the
presence of the VanA and VanB resistance genes in the chicken meat samples that were collected from the Van
market, Turkey. A total of 100 chicken meat samples were used. Among the samples, 27 (27%) were Enterococcus
spp. positive. A total of 67 isolates were obtained from 27 chicken meat samples, which were positive for
Enterococcus spp. Among the 67 isolates, 53 (79.10%) were identified to be E. faecalis and 14 (20.90%) were
identified to be E. faecium. The analysis of antibiotic resistance revealed that 48 isolates (71.74%) exhibited
resistance to multiple antibiotics and 19 isolates (28.36%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic. At least 50% of
the E. faecalis and E. faecium strains were intermediately sensitive to ampicillin, penicillin, chloramphenicol,
vancomycin, and gentamicin. Moreover, the presence of the VanA and VanB genes in 13 strains that were
phenotypically and intermediately resistant to vancomycin was examined by PCR test. The PCR analysis revealed
that no isolate had the VanA and VanB genes. As a result, the detection of Enterococcus spp. in chicken meat is an
indication of not paying attention to hygienic conditions. At the same time, the existence of multiple antibiotic
resistance in isolates obtained from these foods also suggests that phenotypically determined resistances may
threaten public health.