SOME BIOCHEMICAL-PROPERTIES AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITIES OF PASTEURELLA-PISCICIDA ISOLATED IN GREECE AND COMPARISON WITH STRAINS FROM JAPAN, FRANCE AND ITALY

The biochemical properties and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of 13 P asteurella piscicida isolates from Greece are described and compared w ith 10 Japanese and five European (Italian and French) isolates. Morph ologically and biochemically, all isolates of P. piscicida tested were nearly identical and only minor differences could be detected with re ference to the level of acid production from sugars (especially from g lucose). Greek, Italian and French isolates showed similar antibiotic sensitivity patterns, being resistant to erythromycin, kanamycin and s treptomycin, and sensitive to most of the other antibiotics tested. Re sistance was also demonstrated for some isolates towards the potentiat ed sulphonamides. The Japanese isolates appeared to be resistant to a large range of antibiotics including erythromycin, kanamycin, streptom ycin, oxolinic acid, oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol. Multiple res istance of Japanese strains was also noted. These results are discusse d in the light of future measures for the control of pasteurellosis.