Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in capybaras from a Campinas park: implications for one health

Autores

  • Marina de Toledo Serra Bittar
  • Fernanda Battistella Passos Nunes
  • Beatriz Maiara de Oliveira
  • Ana Clara Navarro Pires de Camargo
  • Renata Kelly Mendes
  • Augusto Etchegaray

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34188/bjaerv9n3-127

Palavras-chave:

capybara, Enterococcus faecalis, antibiotic resistance

Resumo

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (capybaras), the largest rodents on Earth, can be found free roaming in urban parks.  They are characterized by an intrinsic adaptability to environments modified by human activity. The reproductive capacity of capybaras is a focus of attention in endemic areas of Brazilian spotted fever transmission. Surgical sterilization of capybaras is an effective strategy for population control in areas at risk. As the animals are sedated it is opportune to collect samples for analysis. In this study, the detection of E. faecalis, a hospital nosocomial pathogen that may carry antibiotic resistant genes, was chosen as a target to evaluate dissemination. Considering relevance, the resistance to vancomycin was evaluated in the isolated E. faecalis from capybaras. Of 21 animals’ samples, 7 were effectively evaluated for the presence of vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis using selective medium. Five of these animals presented vancomycin resistant strains, 4 of which were E. faecalis and one was classified as Staphylococcus sp. Three of the selected strains were analyzed by DNA amplification, confirming the presence of the E. faecalis 16S rRNA gene, the ddl gene and the vanA, vancomycin resistance gene in at least one of the samples. The results therefore showed that between the three bacterial strains, one is potentially Staphylococcus and two are E. faecalis. All three bacteria have the ddl gene, one is not resistant to vancomycin and doesn’t have the vanA gene. The other two strains have the vanA gene, one is E. faecalis and the other is potentially Staphylococcus aureus.

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Publicado

2026-08-07

Como Citar

Bittar, M. de T. S., Nunes, F. B. P., Oliveira, B. M. de, Camargo, A. C. N. P. de, Mendes, R. K., & Etchegaray, A. (2026). Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis in capybaras from a Campinas park: implications for one health. Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research, 9(3), e88661. https://doi.org/10.34188/bjaerv9n3-127

Edição

v. 9 n. 3 (2026)

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