title: High prevalence of acquired antimicrobial resistance unrelated to heavy antimicrobial consumption.
abstract: In a very remote rural Bolivian community where the use of antimicrobials has been minimal and where exchanges with the exterior are very limited, 67% of subjects were found to be carriers of fecal Escherichia coli with acquired resistance to >/=1 antimicrobial agent(s); the highest rates were observed for tetracycline (64%), ampicillin (58%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (50%), and chloramphenicol (41%). The most relevant implication of these findings is that, in certain settings, the spread and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance can occur, regardless of whether selective pressure generated by the use of antimicrobials is present.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Area Critica Medico Chirurgica, Clinica di Malattie Infettive, Universita di Firenze, Florence, Italy. bartolonia@ao-careggi.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartoloni
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartalesi
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantella
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dell'Amico
authors.forename: Mimmo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roselli
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strohmeyer
authors.forename: Herlan Gamboa
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Barahona
authors.forename: Virgilio Prieto
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Barrón
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paradisi
authors.forename: Gian Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rossolini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001838:Bolivia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population