Nine VRE genotypes have been described in enterococci (vanA, -B, -C, -D, -E, -G, -L, -M and -N). These genes encode intrinsic or acquired resistance determinants that result in changes in the peptidoglycan binding site and significantly reduce the strength of vancomycin binding (Courvalin 2006, Boyd et al. 2008, Xu et al. 2010, Lebreton et al. 2011). The VanC phenotype is chromosomally encoded by the vanC₁ and vanC_2/3 genes, which are intrinsic to Enterococcus gallinarum and Enterococcus casseliflavus, respectively, and therefore can be used for species identification (Park et al. 1997, French 1998, Ramotar et al. 2000, Courvalin 2006). These genes confer low-level resistance to vancomycin (2-32 µg/mL) and susceptibility to teicoplanin (0.5-1 µg/mL) (Dutka-Malen et al. 1992, 1995, Navarro & Courvalin 1994, Courvalin 2006).

INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcal species are pathogens that are responsible for outbreaks of foodborne diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxin-genes and the antimicrobial resistance profile in staphylococcus coagulase-negative (CoNS) and coagulasepositive (CoPS) isolates from black pudding in southern Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred typical and atypical colonies from Baird-Parker agar were inoculated on mannitol salt agar. Eighty-two mannitol-positive staphylococci were submitted to conventional biochemical tests and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling. The presence of coagulase (coa) and enterotoxin (se) genes was investigated by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The isolates were divided into 2 groups: 75.6% (62/82) were CoNS and 24.4% (20/82) were CoPS. The biochemical tests identified 9 species, of which Staphylococcus saprophyticus (37.8%) and Staphylococcus carnosus (15.9%) were the most prevalent. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed resistance phenotypes to antibiotics widely administered in humans, such as gentamicin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. The coa gene was detected in 19.5% (16/82) of the strains and 4 polymorphic DNA fragments were observed. Five CoNS isolates carrying the coa gene were submitted for 16S rRNA sequencing and 3 showed similarity with CoNS. Forty strains were positive for at least 1 enterotoxin-encoding gene, the genes most frequently detected were sea (28.6%) and seb (27.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of antimicrobial resistant and enterotoxin-encoding genes in staphylococci isolates from black pudding indicated that this fermented food may represent a potential health risk, since staphylococci present in food could cause foodborne diseases or be a possible route for the transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans.

Key words: VRE; Biofilm; Expression

Quality control of drinking water is essential for safeguarding public health, particularly in densely populated urban environments. Environmental microbiological monitoring can enhance traditional surveillance by providing deeper insights into the dissemination of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes in aquatic systems. In this study, we evaluated the quality of wastewater and treated water from two urban water supply systems, representing the southern and northern regions of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, across four climatic seasons between 2024 and 2025. Fifteen water samples, comprising raw water from Guaíba Lake and treated water from public distribution points, were analyzed. The Water Quality Index was calculated, microbiological indicators were quantified, and carbapenem resistance genes were detected using molecular assays. Most treated water samples complied with bacteriological standards; however, the blaOXA-48-like gene was recurrently identified in both wastewater and treated water. No resistance genes were detected during the summer, while the blaVIM gene appeared exclusively in spring samples. The detection of carbapenem resistance genes in the absence of cultivable coliforms suggests the persistence of extracellular DNA or viable but non-culturable bacteria, underscoring limitations of conventional microbiological monitoring. Integrating classical microbiological methods with molecular assays provides a more comprehensive evaluation of water quality and supports decision-making within a One Health framework.

Quality control of drinking water is essential for safeguarding public health, particularly in densely populated urban environments. Environmental microbiological monitoring can complement conventional surveillance by providing deeper insights into the dissemination of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes within aquatic systems. In this study, we assessed the quality of wastewater and treated water from two urban water supply systems, representing the southern and northern regions of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, across four climatic seasons between 2024 and 2025. Fifteen water samples were analyzed, including raw water from Guaíba Lake and treated water collected from public distribution points. The Water Quality Index was calculated, microbiological indicators were quantified, and carbapenem resistance genes were detected using molecular assays. Most treated water samples complied with established bacteriological standards; however, the bla_OXA-48-like gene was recurrently detected in both wastewater and treated water. No resistance genes were identified during the summer, whereas the bla_VIM gene was detected exclusively in spring samples. The presence of carbapenem resistance genes in the absence of cultivable coliforms suggests the persistence of extracellular DNA or viable but non-culturable bacteria, highlighting limitations inherent to conventional microbiological monitoring. Integrating classical microbiological methods with molecular assays enables a more comprehensive assessment of water quality and strengthens evidence-based decision-making within a One Health framework.

As doenças transmitidas por alimentos constituem um dos problemas de saúde pública mais frequentes do mundo contemporâneo e são causadas principalmente por microrganismos, os quais são contraídos através da ingestão de água e alimentos contaminados. A qualidade de refeições transportadas é ainda mais relevante, na medida em que as preparações passam por intensa manipulação e, posteriormente, serão consumidas sem reaquecimento ou sob reaquecimento inadequado. Este trabalho revisou as legislações atuais que regem a prática do transporte de alimentos e refeições e constatou que não existem muitas regulamentações específicas sobre transporte de alimentos e/ou refeições. Entretanto, as legislações vigentes no País, sejam federais, estaduais ou municipais, acabam contemplando o tema dentro de assuntos mais amplos. E, a partir do obtido na literatura, foi proposto um checklist de inspeção veicular para ser aplicado em Unidades de Alimentação e Nutrição no momento do recebimento de gêneros alimentícios.