CHARACTERIZATION OF A MULTIRESISTANT VIBR IO-CHOLERAE STRAIN RESISTANT ISOLATED FROM A PATIENT WITH CHOLERA IN CHILE

This report characterizes a multiresistant Vibrio Cholerae O1 strain, isolated from strain was resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol an d trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. a patient with cholera, and investiga tes the mechanism of resistance. The analyzed The resistance was media ted by a.101 megadalton plasmid that was transferred to the resultant of a conjugation assay between the multiresistant V. Cholerae strain a nd E. coli C-600 used as receptor strain, that acquired the triple res istance of the parental strain. The resistant V. cholerae strain had a Ogawa serotype, El Tor biotype and toxigenic capacity, demonstrated b y ELISA and latex agglutination techniques. The biochemical features o f the strain were identical to those of susceptible strains, except fo r the resistance to 10 and 150 ug o 129 vibriostatic factor. The emerg ence of plasmid mediated resistance to drugs of choice in the treatmen t of cholera must alert Chilean and Latin American health authorities, considering the cholera will continue affecting the region.