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β-Lactam resistance in normal faecal flora from South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

P. M. A. Shanahan ,
C. J. Thomson  and
S. G. B. Amyes
P. M. A. Shanahan
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teriot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
C. J. Thomson
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teriot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
S. G. B. Amyes*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teriot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
*
* Author for correspondence.
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The genetic and biochemical basis of ampicillin resistance amongst the aerobic Gram-negative commensal faecal flora of healthy volunteers in South Africa has been determined. Amongst 608 ampicillin resistant strains isolated from 320 of the participants, 158 were able to transfer their ampicillin resistant determinants into Escheriehia coli K-12 J62–2. Iso-electric focusing of the β-lactamases, extracted from the transconjugants, demonstrated that ampicillin resistance resulted from the presence of the TEM-1, TEM-2 and SHV-1 β-lactamases in 94·3%, 2·5% and 3·2% of isolates respectively. Endonuclease restriction digests of the plasmids isolated from the transconjugants showed that the β-lactamase genes were present on a wide variety of plasmid types; 101 distinct plasmid endonuclease restriction patterns were identified. Transferable ampicillin resistance was associated with resistance to other antibiotics at the following frequencies: trimethoprim (48·7 %), streptomycin (35·4 %), tetracycline (27·2%), spectinomycin (9·5%), chloramphenicol (3·2%) and gentamicin (1·3%). One antibiotic resistance pattern, ampicillin and trimethoprim. predominated (28%). In total. 77·9% of the plasmids conferred resistance to other antibiotics raising the possibility that use of any of these agents, not simply ampicillin, may contribute to the maintenance of resistance genes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 115 , Issue 2 , October 1995 , pp. 243 - 253
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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