Antimicrobial susceptibility of Fusobacterium necrophorum isolated from bovine hepatic abscesses.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the resistance and susceptibility to antimicrobial compounds of Fusobacterium necrophorum isolates from bovine hepatic abscesses.


METHODS
37 isolates of F necrophorum (21 subsp necrophorum and 16 subsp funduliforme) isolated from bovine hepatic abscesses were obtained from cultures grown and maintained in anaerobic brain heart infusion broth. A broth dilution method was used as an initial screening to determine general susceptibility to 31 antimicrobial compounds. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 19 of the antimicrobial compounds that inhibited growth in the initial test were determined by use of the broth microdilution method.


RESULTS
Fusobacterium necrophorum isolates were generally susceptible to penicillins, tetracyclines (chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline), lincosamides (clindamycin and lincomycin), and macrolides (tylosin and erythromycin), and were resistant to aminoglycosides (kanamycin, neomycin, gentamicin, and streptomycin), ionophores (except narasin), and peptides (avoparcin, polymyxin, and thiopeptin). The 5 antimicrobials (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tylosin, and virginiamycin) that have FDA approval for prevention of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle were inhibitory to F necrophorum. Differences in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were observed between the 2 subspecies only for clindamycin and lincomycin. The MIC of F necrophorum isolates from antibiotic-fed cattle were similar to those for isolates from nonantibiotic-fed cattle.


CONCLUSIONS
The MIC of FDA-approved antibiotics were not reflective of the efficacy of antibiotics in preventing liver abscesses in feedlot cattle. Also, continuous feeding of tylosin did not appear to select resistant F necrophorum.
Lechtenberg
K F
KF
Department of Animal Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-1600, USA.
Nagaraja
T G
TG
Chengappa
M M
MM
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005675:Fusobacterium necrophorum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008034:Lincomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018942:Macrolides; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D010406:Penicillins; D013754:Tetracyclines; D002981:Clindamycin; D008034:Lincomycin