Ali Jahansepas - Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mohammad Aghazadeh - Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. ۲Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mohammad Ahangarzadeh Rezaee - Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. ۲Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Alka Hasani - Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. ۲Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

Background and Aim:The presence of different Enterococcus spp. has been recorded in cheese; nevertheless E. faecalis and E. faecium are the most commonly isolated ones. This study goal to determine the virulence traits of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium recovered from traditional cheese types in North-west of Iran.Methods:Fifty traditionally ewe or cow milk cheese samples were randomly purchased from different popular dairy markets from Urmia and Tabriz, in North-west of Iran. Samples were transported to the laboratory in an ice bag and analyzed for Enterococcus spp. Phenotypic and molecular methods at the genus and species level were applied for Identification of enterococci. Screening for Virulence Genes was determined by PCR reactions.Results:Among all isolates, the majority was with E. faecalis with 83.33% (40/48), and the remainder included E. faecium with16.67% (8/48). In the current study, E. faecalis and E. faecium showed significant differences in the incidence of virulence factors (P < 0.05). A higher prevalence of virulence genes (gelE, asa1, ace and cylA) was detected in the E. faecalis isolates. The cpd (100%) was the most common virulence gene among E. faecalis isolates.Conclusion:The presence and expression of virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance in these strains provided evidence showing that the detrimental aspects of enterococci in cheese could be a public health hazard. Therefore, this study provided the necessary criteria that could be considered in the phenotypic and molecular analysis of enterococci in the traditional cheese in order to ensure their safety by the food and sanitary control laboratory.

E. faecalis; E. faecium; virulence factors, traditional cheese