Presence of Virulence Genes in Enterococcus Species Isolated from Meat Turkeys in Germany Does Not Correlate with Chicken Embryo Lethality
Table 3
Inoculum concentrations (cfu), virulence genotype, phenotype and results from the chicken embryo lethality assay (performed in six repetitions) of three control strains.
ID
Species
cfu
Genotype
Phenotype
†/n
7-day EMR
7-day ESI
K923/96
E. faecalis
760
cyl-operon, cylLLLSMBA, gelE, asa1
GEL
20/20
100%
+++
15
+++
K923/96
E. faecalis
660
19/20
95%
+++
35
+++
K923/96
E. faecalis
376
18/20
90%
+++
45
+++
K923/96
E. faecalis
1000
18/20
90%
+++
40
+++
K923/96
E. faecalis
384
16/20
80%
++
52
++
K923/96
E. faecalis
548
8/10
80%
++
n.d.
n.d.
K808/97
E. faecium
352
None
None
10/20
50%
++
73
++
K808/97
E. faecium
224
6/20
30%
+
104
+
K808/97
E. faecium
144
4/20
20%
+
120
+
K808/97
E. faecium
152
2/20
10%
+
130
+
K808/97
E. faecium
248
8/15
53%
++
n.d.
n.d.
K808/97
E. faecium
168
1/10
10%
+
n.d.
n.d.
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
544
None
H, HYL
12/20
60%
++
72
++
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
324
11/20
55%
++
77
++
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
256
7/20
35%
+
99
++
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
136
6/20
30%
+
117
+
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
216
4/20
20%
+
124
+
ATCC 49573
E. gallinarum
232
3/20
15%
+
125
+
EMR, embryo mortality rate; ESI, embryo survival index; †/n, dead/tested embryos; H, beta-hemolysis; GEL, gelatinase; HYL, hyaluronidase; virulence classification: +, less, ++, moderately, +++, highly virulent; n.d., not determined because of differing absolute numbers of available viable embryonated SPF eggs.
