ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS OF THERMOPHILIC CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. FROM HUMANS, PIGS, CATTLE, AND BROILERS IN DENMARK

The MICs of 16 antimicrobial agents were determined for 202 Campylobac ter jejuni isolates, 123 Campylobacter coli isolates, and 6 Campylobac ter lari isolates from humans and food animals in Denmark. The C.jejun i isolates originated from humans (75), broilers (95), cattle (29), an d pigs (3); the C. coil isolates originated from humans (7), broilers (17), and pigs (99); and the C. lari isolates originated from broilers (5) and cattle (1), All isolates were susceptible to apramycin, neomy cin, and gentamicin, Only a few C.jejuni isolates were resistant to on e or more antimicrobial agents, Resistance to tetracycline was more co mmon among C.jejuni isolates from humans (11%) than among C, jejuni is olates from animals (0 to 2%), More resistance to streptomycin was fou nd among C, jejuni isolates from cattle (10%) than among those from hu mans (4%) or broilers (1%), A greater proportion of C. coil than of C, jejuni isolates were resistant to the other antimicrobial agents test ed. Isolates were in most cases either coresistant to tylosin, spiramy cin, and erythromycin or susceptible to all three antibiotics, More ma crolide-resistant isolates were observed among C. coil isolates from s wine (79%) than among C. coil isolates from broilers (18%) and humans (14%), Twenty-four percent of C, coli isolates from pigs were resistan t to enrofloxacin, whereas 29% of C, coli isolates from humans and non e from broilers were resistant, More resistance to streptomycin was ob served among C, coil isolates from swine (48%) than among C. coil isol ates from broilers (6%) or humans (0%), The six C, lari isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents except ampicillin and nalidixi c acid, This study showed that antimicrobial resistance was found only at relatively low frequencies among C. jejuni and C, lari isolates, A mong C. coil isolates, especially from swine, there was a high level o f resistance to macrolides and streptomycin, Furthermore, this study s howed differences in the resistance to antimicrobial agents among Camp ylobacter isolates of different origins.