Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter coli clinical isolates.
BACKGROUND
Campylobacter spp. is a major cause of acute bacterial diarrhea in humans worldwide, and C. coli is responsible for 10% of the cases.


METHODS
A study was made of the antimicrobial susceptibility using the E-test(®), and the clonal relationship using PCR-RFLP, of the flaA gene, as well as PFGE techniques on 43 C. coli clinical isolates.


RESULTS
Only 49% and 2% of the isolates were susceptible to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Imipenem and clindamyicn, with 100% and 84% of the strains, respectively, being susceptible, were the most active antimicrobials. The PCR-RFLP of flaA gene technique grouped fourteen isolates into six clusters, while the PFGE technique grouped eleven isolates into five clusters.


CONCLUSIONS
Ciprofloxacin and erythromycin are not suitable for the treatment of C. coli infections. Clindamycin could be considered as a therapeutic alternative in cases of enteritis, while imipenem is the best alternative for extra-intestinal infections. Both PFGE and PCR-RFLP can be useful to detect clones.
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain.
Ana
A
Ruiz-Castillo
Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
María José
MJ
Torres-Sánchez
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: Javier.aznar.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es.
Javier
J
Aznar-Martín
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antimicrobial susceptibility; Campylobacter coli; ECP; Epidemiología molecular; Molecular epidemiology; PCR-RFLP flaA; PFGE; Sensibilidad antimicrobiana