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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119557
Title: ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN CAMPYLOBACTER ISOLATED FROM FEEDLOT CATTLE

Author
item Englen, Mark
item Cray, Paula
item Ladely, Scott
item DARGATZ, D - USDA-APHIS

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2001
Publication Date: 5/20/2001
Citation: Englen, M.D., Cray, P.J., Ladely, S.R., Dargatz, D. 2001. Antimicrobial resistance in campylobacter isolated from feedlot cattle. American Society for Microbiology. Ses No. 263/Z. Abstract. Z-54. P. 749.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is one of the most frequent causes of acute bacterial diarrhea worldwide, and the emergence of strains resistant to commonly used antimicrobials (AM) has raised serious concerns. Although Campylobacter is often found as a gut commensal in cattle, relatively little is known about resistance to AM in Campylobacter isolated from beef sources. We examined 118 Campylobacter isolates (22% C. coli [n=26] and 78% C. jejuni [n=92]) from health feedlot cattle collected during the 1998 National Animal Health Monitoring System survey for resistance to 12 AM using the E-test method (AB Biodisk, Piscataway, NJ). The AM tested included azithromycin (AZ), clindamycin (CM), erythromycin (EM), gentamicin (GM), naladixic acid (NA), ciprofloxacin (CI), chloramphenicol (CM), imipenim (IP, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (XL), cefephime (PM), tetracycline (TC) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TS). For the C. coliisolates, 81% (n=21) were resistant to TC and 31% (n=8) were resistant to NA. Resistance to any of the remaining 9 AM was less than 8%, although 35% (n=9) of the C. coli isolates were resistant to 2 or more AM. For the C. jejuni group, 42% (n=39) were resistant to TC, 9% (n=8) were resistant to NA and resistance to any of the other 9 AM was less than 3.5%. Only 6.5% (n=6) of the C. jejuni were resistant to 2 or more AM. While both species showed the highest resistance to TC and NA, the levels were much greater in C. coli compared to C. jejuni. Further, the C. coli tested had a much higher percentage of multi-resistance than the C. jejuni group. These results suggest that C. coli may possess the means to acquire resistance to AM more efficiently that C. jejuni, however this remains an area for further study.