Transmission and genetic diversity of Enterococcus faecalis during hatch of broiler chicks

The normal gastrointestinal flora of poultry includes Enterococcus faecalis. E. faecalis is also associated with first week mortality of chickens, but it is not clear whether this is due to vertical or horizontal transmission. Aims of the present study were to investigate transmission and genetic diversity of E. faecalis during hatching of broiler chicks. When hatching started, 15% of the chicks were colonized with E. faecalis. This colonization was interpreted as vertical transmission and was higher than previously reported. Transmission of E. faecalis from parents older than 42 weeks was five times greater than transmission of E. faecalis from younger parents. Seventy percent of broiler chicks were colonized with E. faecalis within 24 h after hatch started, which was interpreted as horizontal transmission. Twenty-one sequence types (STs) were demonstrated among 322 isolates of E. faecalis obtained from newly hatched chicks representing 11 different broiler parent flocks. Furthermore, three STs (ST59, ST82, ST174) made up 50.6% of the isolates, indicating that these STs have adapted successfully to the avian niche. All STs, except those novel to this study, have previously been associated with lesions in poultry, underlining the importance of controlling these particular STs.