Bacterial strains isolated from eggs and their resistance to currently used antibiotics: is there a health hazard for consumers?
In order to study the putative transfer of antibiotic resistance from poultry to humans, hens' eggs were examined for the presence of various pathogens. Staphylococcus, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Proteus and Pseudomonas spp. were the most frequently isolated genera. Sensitivity tests, performed with the Kirby-Bauer technique, showed the presence of resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (to penicillin-G, tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, cefalosporins, oxacillin, gentamycin, chloramphenicol and tobramycin), Enterococcus faecalis (to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, gentamycin and tetracyclin), Escherichia coli (to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin and cefalosporins), Enterobacter cloacae (to ampicillin, amoxycillin plus clavunalic acid, erythromycin and tetracycline), Pseudomonas stutzeri (to erythromycin and chlorampenicol) and Citrobacter freundii (to ampicillin, amoxycillin plus clavunalic acid, cefalosporins and co-trimoxazole).
Papadopoulou
C
C
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Dimitriou
D
D
Levidiotou
S
S
Gessouli
H
H
Panagiou
A
A
Golegou
S
S
Antoniades
G
G
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004531:Eggs / Q000382:microbiology*; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D024841:Fluoroquinolones