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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1969 November; 18(5): 918-924
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Incidence of Infectious Drug Resistance Among Lactose-Fermenting Bacteria Isolated from Raw and Treated Sewage

Department of Microbiology, The Medical Center, University of Alabama in Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35233

ABSTRACT

Raw and treated sewage samples were examined for antibiotic-resistant, lactose-fermenting bacteria. Approximately 1% of the total lactose-fermenting bacteria were multiply resistant. Of these organisms, 50% were capable of transferring all or part of their resistance to a drug-sensitive recipient. Only 43% of those isolated on media containing a single antibiotic were capable of resistance transfer, whereas 57% of those recovered on multiple antibiotic plates transferred resistance. R factors conferring resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and tetracycline; streptomycin and tetracycline; and ampicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline accounted for 22, 19, and 15%, respectively, of those identified. The data indicate a significant level of infectious drug resistance among the intestinal bacteria of the urban population.