Presence of Virulence Genes in Enterococcus Species Isolated from Meat Turkeys in Germany Does Not Correlate with Chicken Embryo Lethality

Table 1

Inoculum concentrations (cfu), virulence genotype, phenotype and results from the chicken embryo lethality assay of 28 Enterococcus isolates from meat turkeys in Germany.

ID

Species

Age

Organ

cfu

Detected genes

Virulence traits by

†/n

7-day EMR

7-day ESI

genotype

phenotype

2

E. faecalis

Subad

Heart

456

cyl-operon, cylLLLSMBA, gelE, asa1

CYL, GEL, ASA

GEL

8/20

40%

+

103

+

5

E. faecalis

Poult

Yolk sac

436

cylLS, gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

GEL

13/20

65%

++

74

++

30

E. faecalis

Poult

Yolk sac

500

cyl-operon, cylLLLSMBA, gelE, asa1

CYL, GEL, ASA

GEL

19/20

95%

+++

39

+++

50

E. faecalis

Subad

Heart

852

gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

GEL

7/20

35%

+

111

+

68

E. faecalis

Poult

Yolk sac

856

gelE

GEL

GEL

15/20

75%

++

53

++

87

E. faecalis

Poult

Yolk sac

428

cylLLLSMA, gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

GEL

2/20

10%

+

127

+

137

E. faecalis

Poult

Yolk sac

588

gelE

GEL

GEL

6/20

30%

+

103

+

159

E. faecalis

Subad

Heart

484

cylA, gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

GEL

7/20

35%

+

108

+

162

E. faecalis

Subad

Heart

684

cyl-operon, cylLLLSMBA, gelE, asa1

CYL, GEL, ASA

GEL

16/20

80%

++

50

+++

165

E. faecalis

Subad

Heart

772

cyl-operon, cylLLLSMBA, gelE, asa1

CYL, GEL, ASA

GEL

16/20

80%

++

52

++

6-I

E. faecium

Subad

Air sac

340

none

none

none

2/20

10%

+

127

+

44

E. faecium

Subad

Lung

304

none

none

none

0/20

0%

+

140

+

60

E. faecium

Subad

Air sac

648

cylLLLSMA, gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

none

0/20

0%

+

140

+

69

E. faecium

Subad

Lung

212

gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

none

1/20

5%

+

133

+

73

E. faecium

Subad

Air sac

304

gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

none

12/20

60%

++

61

++

101

E. faecium

Poult

Yolk sac

376

cylLSA, gelE, asa1

GEL, ASA

none

10/20

50%

++

76

++

151

E. faecium

Poult

Yolk sac

416

none

none

none

9/20

45%

++

82

++

153-II

E. faecium

Poult

Yolk sac

332

none

none

none

14/20

70%

++

48

+++

157-II

E. faecium

Subad

Lung

476

none

none

none

6/20

30%

+

103

+

160

E. faecium

Subad

Lung

176

none

none

none

7/20

35%

+

95

++

58

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

288

hylEfm

HYL

H, HYL

0/20

0%

+

140

+

77

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

352

none

none

H, HYL

2/20

10%

+

135

+

79

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

304

gelE

GEL

HYL

4/20

20%

+

122

+

94

E. gallinarum

Subad

Lung

288

none

none

none

2/20

10%

+

130

+

118

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

280

hylEfm

HYL

H, HYL

6/20

30%

+

122

+

127

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

224

hylEfm

HYL

H, HYL

3/20

15%

+

134

+

146

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

404

hylEfm

HYL

H, HYL

2/20

10%

+

135

+

156

E. gallinarum

Poult

Yolk sac

296

hylEfm

HYL

H, HYL

4/20

20%

+

130

+

EMR, embryo mortality rate; ESI, embryo survival index; Subad, subadult; †/n, dead/tested embryos; CYL, cytolysin; H, beta-hemolysis; GEL, gelatinase; HYL, hyaluronidase; ASA, aggregation substance; virulence classification: +, less, ++, moderately, +++, highly virulent.