Enterococci are considered as important opportunistic pathogens causing different infections in farm animals. The main aim of the experiment was to describe the prevalence of high-level aminoglycoside resistant (HLAR) Enterococci isolated from Tibetan pigs. In current study, 51 samples were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by testing the high level streptomycin resistance (HLSR) and high level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The aminoglycoside modifying enzyme (AME) genes aac(6’)-Ie-aph(2’)-Ia, aph(2)-Ic, aph(3)-IIIa, ant(4)-Ia, ant(6’)-Ia and ant(3’)-(9) in Enterococci were detected by PCR. Results showed that the prevalence of HLSR, HLGR and HLGR + HLSR was found to be 68.6, 76.5, and 39.2% respectively; and ant (4’)-Ia and aac(6’)-Ie-aph(2’)-Ia genes showed 62.7 and 70.6% prevalence, respectively; however, other AME genes were found all negative. In conclusion, the isolates of Enterococci from Tibetan pigs have produced high level resistance to aminoglycoside.

Key words: Antimicrobial resistance, Enterococcus, MIC, Polymerase chain reaction, Tibetan pigs