Changes in serotype and resistance pattern of the intestinal Escherichia coli flora during travel. Results from a trial of mecillinam as a prophylactic against travellers' diarrhoea.
The changes in the intestinal Escherichia coli flora during travel has been studied by serological methods. A group of 74 tourists visiting Egypt and the Far East were given mecillinam or placebo in a randomized double-blind study. In all but 3 participants, 2 in the placebo group and 1 in the mecillinam group, a complete change in the E. coli flora occurred after a few days, and changes continued to occur during the 25 days of travel. The percentage of multiresistant strains rose from 8% in the pretravel samples to 50-60% in the posttravel samples. Less than 5% of the pretravel E. coli strains were resistant to mecillinam, whereas in the posttravel samples 42.9% of the E. coli strains in the mecillinam group and 19.1% in the placebo group were resistant to mecillinam. Of the 30 mecillinam resistant E. coli strains from the diarrhoeal samples only 6 showed transferable mecillinam resistance.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000560:Amdinocillin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003718:Denmark; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010397:Penicillanic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D012703:Serotyping; D014195:Travel
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010397:Penicillanic Acid; D000560:Amdinocillin