Detection of Some Putative Virulence Genes by PCR in Local Strains of Enterococcus Faecalis

In this study, 39 strains of Enterococcus faecalis were collected and isolated from different sources including (stool, urine samples and vagina swabs), where, 18 (46%) strains were isolated from human intestine (stool), 14 (36%) from urine, and 7 (18%) from vagina. Some putative virulence genes were detected by using specific PCR primers which include mefA/E, msrC, asa1 and ace genes. The results of this study showed that four strains of E. faecalis possessed the (mefA/E) gene, two from urine strains 2: 14 (14%), one from vagina 1: 7 (14%) and one from stool 1: 18 (5.5%). Besides only one strain which was isolated from vagina 1: 7(14%) gave positive amplicon for (msrC) gene, where as the others did not have this gene. On the other hand only four strains gave positive results for ace gene 2 (14%) from urine and 2 (28.5%) from vagina, where as all strains gave positive results for asa1 gene.