Antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical isolates of non-jejuni/coli campylobacters and arcobacters from Belgium.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the susceptibility of non-jejuni/coli campylobacters and arcobacters isolated from diarrhoeal stool specimens in Belgium.


METHODS
The MICs were determined using Etest for six antimicrobial agents including ampicillin, erythromycin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline for the most frequently isolated non-jejuni/coli campylobacter and arcobacter strains in two University Hospital laboratories between 1995 and 2005.


RESULTS
In total, 85 Campylobacter upsaliensis, 20 Campylobacter concisus, 11 Campylobacter fetus, 61 Arcobacter butzleri and 10 Arcobacter cryaerophilus isolates were tested. Most C. upsaliensis strains were susceptible to ampicillin (100%), gentamicin (100%), ciprofloxacin (94.1%) and tetracycline (100%), whereas 11.8 and 12.9% were resistant to nalidixic acid and erythromycin, respectively. For A. butzleri, 78.7% of isolates were susceptible to ampicillin and erythromycin. Most A. butzleri isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin (96.7%), nalidixic acid (82.0%), gentamicin (100%) and tetracycline (100%). All C. concisus strains were fully susceptible to ampicillin and tetracycline, but 5% of them were resistant to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. Nearly all C. fetus and A. cryaerophilus strains were susceptible to erythromycin but the results should be interpreted with caution since only a small number of strains were tested.


CONCLUSIONS
Fluoroquinolones should be considered in the treatment of severe C. upsaliensis and A. butzleri infection. When clinically indicated, erythromycin remains the first choice for the treatment of intestinal campylobacteriosis caused by C. concisus and C. fetus.
National Reference Centre for Enteric Campylobacter, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. olivier_vandenberg@stpierre-bru.be
Olivier
O
Vandenberg
Kurt
K
Houf
Nicole
N
Douat
Linda
L
Vlaes
Patricia
P
Retore
Jean-Paul
JP
Butzler
Anne
A
Dediste
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020640:Arcobacter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001530:Belgium; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents