title: Antibiotic resistance among verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and non-VTEC isolated from domestic animals and humans.
abstract: Two hundred verocytotoxigenic and 216 non-verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC and non-VTEC), isolated from a variety of sources were tested for their resistances to 11 antimicrobial agents. The strains included isolates from domestic food animals and both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections in man. A much higher level of resistance was found among the non-VTEC than among the VTEC, regardless of source. The resistant VTEC isolated from animals were predominantly from specimens associated with sick animals. Antibiotic resistance was detected in only four of the 59 (6.8 %) VTEC of human origin, whereas more of the human non-VTEC possessed antibiotic resistance determinants. It was particularly noteworthy that 24/87 (28 %) strains isolated from healthy babies, who had neither contact with antibiotics nor had gastrointestinal symptoms for at least 2 weeks prior to the specimen being taken, were resistant to one or more of the antibiotics tested.
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052 2Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Mail Bag 8, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570.
authors.forename: Karl A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bettelheim
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052 2Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Mail Bag 8, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hornitzky
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052 2Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Mail Bag 8, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Djordjevic
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052 2Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Private Mail Bag 8, Camden, New South Wales, Australia 2570.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuzevski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002417:Cattle; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012703:Serotyping; D012756:Sheep; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins