title: High frequency of antimicrobial resistance in human fecal flora.
abstract: The frequency of resistance to seven different antimicrobial agents was examined in the aerobic gram-negative gut flora of over 600 individuals from hospitals, from laboratories where antibiotics were used, and from urban and rural communities. In a majority (62.5%) of fecal samples from people without a recent history of taking antibiotics, 10% or more of the total organisms were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics. In about 40% of the samples, resistance to more than one drug was present at this level. More than one-third of the samples contained resistant organisms comprising 50% or more of the total flora examined. Organisms with coresistance to multiple drugs were found frequently. Individuals taking antibiotics produced more samples with a higher proportion (greater than 50%) of resistant bacteria, and these samples also had a significantly greater number of different resistance determinants. This extensive study revealed a high prevalence of resistant bacteria in the gut flora of ambulatory and hospitalized individuals whether or not they were taking antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schluederberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rowse
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001900:Boston; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents