CONJUGAL TRANSFER OF PLASMIDS AND ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE AMONG ESCHERICHIA-COLI ISOLATED FROM ANIMALS IN A RURAL AREA IN SARAWAK (MALAYSIA)

Thirty-six strains of Escherichia coli isolated from animals in Bario, a remote area in Sarawak, Malaysia, were examined for presence of pla smid DNA and their susceptibility to nine antimicrobial agents, Of the total 36 isolates, five bovine and six canine isolates were found to contain plasmid DNA ranging in sizes from 2.6 to 70 kilobases, All wer e susceptible to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid and neomycin but resistance to ampicillin (47%), erythromycin (19 %), streptomycin (25%) and tetracycline (11%) was observed, Resistance was as associated with carriage of a 47 kb (SC98), 70 kb, (SC133) and 56 and 4.6 kb (SC119) plasmids which were transmissible to the Escher ichia coli K12 recipient. It is concluded that animals form a potentia l reservoir of R plasmids carrying E. coli in the study area.