This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sayah, R. S. Articles by Miller, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sayah, R. S. Articles by Miller, R. Agricola Articles by Sayah, R. S. Articles by Miller, R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, March 2005, p. 1394-1404, Vol. 71, No. 3
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.3.1394-1404.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Patterns of Antimicrobial Resistance Observed in Escherichia coli Isolates Obtained from Domestic- and Wild-Animal Fecal Samples, Human Septage, and Surface Water

Population Medicine Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan,¹ Lower Eastern Shore Research and Education Center, University of Maryland, Salisbury, Maryland²

Received 13 July 2004/ Accepted 4 October 2004

A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the patterns of antimicrobial resistance in 1,286 Escherichia coli strains isolated from human septage, wildlife, domestic animals, farm environments, and surface water in the Red Cedar watershed in Michigan. Isolation and identification of E. coli were done by using enrichment media, selective media, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the disk diffusion method was conducted for neomycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, ofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin, cephalothin, and sulfisoxazole. Resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent was demonstrated in isolates from livestock, companion animals, human septage, wildlife, and surface water. In general, E. coli isolates from domestic species showed resistance to the largest number of antimicrobial agents compared to isolates from human septage, wildlife, and surface water. The agents to which resistance was demonstrated most frequently were tetracycline, cephalothin, sulfisoxazole, and streptomycin. There were similarities in the patterns of resistance in fecal samples and farm environment samples by animal, and the levels of cephalothin-resistant isolates were higher in farm environment samples than in fecal samples. Multidrug resistance was seen in a variety of sources, and the highest levels of multidrug-resistant E. coli were observed for swine fecal samples. The fact that water sample isolates were resistant only to cephalothin may suggest that the resistance patterns for farm environment samples may be more representative of the risk of contamination of surface waters with antimicrobial agent-resistant bacteria.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kaneene, J. B., Miller, R., Sayah, R., Johnson, Y. J., Gilliland, D., Gardiner, J. C. (2007). Considerations When Using Discriminant Function Analysis of Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles To Identify Sources of Fecal Contamination of Surface Water in Michigan. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 2878-2890 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hamelin, K., Bruant, G., El-Shaarawi, A., Hill, S., Edge, T. A., Fairbrother, J., Harel, J., Maynard, C., Masson, L., Brousseau, R. (2007). Occurrence of Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates from Different Aquatic Ecosystems within the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 477-484 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hamelin, K., Bruant, G., El-Shaarawi, A., Hill, S., Edge, T. A., Bekal, S., Fairbrother, J. M., Harel, J., Maynard, C., Masson, L., Brousseau, R. (2006). A Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance DNA Microarray Detects a High Frequency of Virulence Genes in Escherichia coli Isolates from Great Lakes Recreational Waters.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4200-4206 [Abstract] [Full Text]