title: The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in human faecal flora in South Africa.
abstract: Between January and March 1992, 361 faecal specimens were collected from the healthy black population in the Transvaal Province of South Africa. Each specimen was examined for the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in commensal bacteria. Volunteers, from both rural and urban dwellings, were divided into four age groups. The overall carriage rate of resistance varied from 88.6% for ampicillin, 74.2% for trimethoprim, 52.6% for chloramphenicol, 10.2% for nalidixic acid to 7.5% for gentamicin. The carriage of resistance found to each individual antimicrobial agent was slightly higher in the rural population rather than the urban population but there was no correlation between the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and the age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shanahan
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wylie
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Adrian
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koornhof
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Amyes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D014871:Water Microbiology