Long-Term Colonization Dynamics of Enterococcus faecalis in Implanted Devices in Research Macaques
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Enterococcus faecalis is a common cause of health care-associated infections in humans, largely due to its ability to persist in the hospital environment, colonize patients, acquire antimicrobial resistance, and form biofilms. Understanding how enterococci evolve in health care settings provides insight into factors affecting enterococcal survival and persistence. Macaques used in neuroscience research have long-term cranial implants that, despite best practices, often become colonized by E. faecalis . This provides a unique opportunity to noninvasively examine the evolution of enterococci on a long-term indwelling device. We collected E. faecalis strains from cephalic implants over a 7-year period and characterized the sequence type, antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, biofilm production, and hypermutator phenotypes. Improved antimicrobial stewardship allowed a less-antimicrobial-resistant E. faecalis strain to predominate at the implant interface, potentially improving antimicrobial treatment outcomes if future clinical infections occur. Biofilm formation appears to play an important role in the persistence of the E. faecalis strains associated with these implants.
DOI: 10.1128/aem.01336-18
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Medicine
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Biomedical Research Training for Veterinary Scientists, E. faecalis Pathogenicity Island, Enterococcus cytolysin: Regulation and structure, MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Bacterial Evasion of Innate Defenses at the Ocular Surface, Enterococcal Pathogenesis:Role of Cytolysin, G9000165523, Harvard-wide Program on Antibiotic Resistance
OpenAlex ID: W2884074537