Introduction
The Enterococcus spp. is known to co-exist harmlessly in the human gastro-intestinal tract. However, the bacteria are pathogenic when located in other areas of the human body, such as the vagina or the mouth. It is not surprising to note that the E. faecalis is prevalent compared to the other 18 identified species and is well adapted to thrive in acidic, hot, or salty surroundings (Blanco et al., 2018). Recent studies have indicated that some strains of the bacteria are increasingly becoming resistant to drugs. Therefore, this becomes a cause for alarm and thus, the provocation for this investigation is to establish the effect of the bacteria on women who are in labor and their babies.
The Abrocomidae Spp. Also known as the chinchilla rat was used in the study as it is unlawful to use human subjects in such experiments. Moreover, the bacteria can quickly spread through unhygienic conditions and studies have indicated that the E. faecalis thrives in health institutions especially when the nurses or physicians fail to clean their hands (Chalansonnet, Mercier, Orenga & Gilbert, 2017). Since most women deliver in hospitals, there is a need to investigate the possibility of oral transmission of the bacteria and its implication on pregnant women.
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Materials and Methods
A strain of Enterococcus faecalis was obtained and placed in a culture of TSB medium comprising tetracycline at 4μg mL-1. Before the use of the strain, care was taken to ensure that reconstitution to109 CFU mL-1was done immediately after harvesting the bacteria. The chinchilla rats were taken care of as per the guidelines of the care of animals being provided with food and water daily (DiPippo et al., 2017). The Abrocomidae Spp. was obtained from a source that ensured they had no contamination or infection of whatever kind. Gestating rats were infected with 100μL suspension of the bacteria once daily for a total of 20 days. The blood sample and few organs like the kidney, placenta, intestine, liver, and fetus from the a few of the specimen were obtained for examination.
Results
The bacteria were detected in the various organs suggesting that when dispensed through the mouth, the bacteria were capable of reproducing and spreading to other organs (Hua et al., 2018). The presence of E. faecalis in the fetus, kidney, intestines, liver, and placenta was an indication that the strain when orally administered could translocate to other tissues.
Fig 1: Diagram of an Enterococcus faecalis
Discussion
From the results of this investigation, the translocation of Enterococcus faecalis to other areas could be an indicator of decreased resistance against diseases by the body. To support the statement, colonization of the bacteria in the fetus and placenta was found to be causative of disorders in the maternal rats. Moreover, when compared to uninfected rats, the size of the fetus was reduced, and the weight smaller (Seneviratne et al., 2017). Therefore, the administration of the bacteria through oral means does not restrict the bacteria to the gastrointestinal area alone, but they are capable of translocating and colonizing other tissues and organs.
Conclusion
The recognized mode of transmission of the bacteria is through blood, urine, or open, wounds. Additionally, the bacteria are at times at the mouth or the vagina, and thus, pregnant women have a high risk of E. faecalis spreading and colonizing other organs and tissues in the body including the fetus and placenta (Watson, 2017). For the prevention of the pathogen, it is advisable to maintain high standards of hygiene as the only way the bacteria can be treated is by the use of antibiotics.
References
Blanco, A. E., Barz, M., Cavero, D., Icken, W., Sharifi, A. R., Voss, M., ... & Preisinger, R. (2018). Characterization of Enterococcus faecalis isolates by chicken embryo lethality assay and ERIC-PCR. Avian pathology, 47(1), 23-32.
Chalansonnet, V., Mercier, C., Orenga, S., & Gilbert, C. (2017). Identification of Enterococcus faecalis enzymes with azoreductases and/or nitroreductase activity. BMC microbiology, 17(1), 126.
DiPippo, A. J., Tverdek, F. P., Tarrand, J. J., Munita, J. M., Tran, T. T., Arias, C. A., ... & Aitken, S. L. (2017). Daptomycin non-susceptible Enterococcus faecium in leukemia patients: Role of prior daptomycin exposure. Journal of Infection, 74(3), 243-247.
Hua, R., Xia, Y., Wu, W., Yan, J., & Yang, M. (2018). Whole transcriptome analysis reveals potential novel mechanisms of low-level linezolid resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. Gene, 647, 143-149.
Seneviratne, C. J., Suriyanarayanan, T., Swarup, S., Chia, K. H. B., Nagarajan, N., & Zhang, C. (2017). Transcriptomics analysis reveals putative genes involved in biofilm formation and biofilm-associated drug resistance of Enterococcus faecalis. Journal of endodontics, 43(6), 949-955.
Watson, S. (2017, September 26). Enterococcus Faecalis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/enterococcus-faecalis
