AUTHOR=Li Yuanyuan , Jiang Tao , Mao Jianfeng , Xu Fangyi , Zhang Rong , Yan Jing , Cai Jiachang , Xie Yanjun 

TITLE=Prevalence and genetic diversity of optrA-positive enterococci isolated from patients in an anorectal surgery ward of a Chinese hospital

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1481162

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1481162

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Linezolid-resistant enterococci have increased in recent years due to the worldwide spread of acquired resistance genes (<italic>cfr</italic>, <italic>optrA</italic>, and <italic>poxtA</italic>) in clinical, animal, and environmental settings. This study investigated the carriage of <italic>optrA</italic>-positive enterococci among patients in the anorectal surgery ward in Hangzhou, China, and characterized the genetic context of <italic>optrA</italic>. A total of 173 wound secretion samples were obtained to screen <italic>optrA</italic>-positive enterococci. Of the 173 samples, 15 (8.67%) were positive for <italic>optrA</italic>, including 12 <italic>Enterococcus faecalis</italic>, two <italic>E. faecium</italic>, and one <italic>E. hirae</italic>. Multilocus sequence type analysis revealed that 12 <italic>optrA</italic>-positive <italic>E. faecalis</italic> isolates belonged to eight different sequence types (STs), of which ST16 was the main type. Eight optrA variants were identified, whose <italic>optrA</italic> flanking regions with a <italic>fexA</italic> gene downstream were bounded by different mobile genetic elements. Furthermore, the <italic>optrA</italic> gene in 8 out of 15 <italic>optrA</italic>-positive enterococci could be successfully transferred through conjugation. The findings revealed a high carriage rate of <italic>optrA</italic> in enterococci from one anorectal surgery ward in China. The dissemination of <italic>optrA</italic>-positive enterococci isolates in clinical settings should be continually monitored.</p>