Surveillance of R-plasmids.
The surveillance of R-plasmids consists of: (1.) Ecological and epidemiological investigations. (1.1.) Prevalence of R-plasmids in pathogenic and apathogenic bacteria occurring in the biotic environment (man, animal); in the abiotic environment (sewage, food, feed); under high selection pressure (hospital, animal production, plant production). (2.) Biological investigations. (2.1.) Genetic properties of R-plasmids: (2.2.) Plasmid induced variations of the properties of the host bacteria (virulence, phage pattern, antigenic pattern, serological properties). The problems resulting from plasmid-mediated drug resistance call for a strict chemotherapeutic drug policy with the regard to ecological processes.
D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D011815:R Factors; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics