Resistance to metal ions and antibiotics in Escherichia coli isolated from foodstuffs.
Of 39 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from foodstuffs, all were resistant to at least one of a panel of four metallic ions tested. The most common resistance (94.9%) was against cadmium, followed by arsenate (76.9%), silver (71.8%) and mercury (61.5%). Multiple resistance to three (35.9%) or four (38.5%) metals was seen more often than resistance to two (18%) or one (7.7%) metal only. The opposite trend was seen in antibiotic resistance; resistance to one (30%) or two (49%) antibiotics was more common than to three or more antibiotics (13%). Resistance to kanamycin correlated with resistance to silver and cadmium ions and resistance to ampicillin or cephalothin was, with one exception, associated with resistance to cadmium ions.
Grewal
J S
JS
Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
Tiwari
R P
RP
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008670:Metals