Antimicrobial resistance and minimum inhibitory concentrations of bacteriaisolated from bustards in the United Arab Emirates

The resistance to 11 antimicrobial agents of bacteria isolated from clinica l and postmortem cases of five species of bustards maintained in captivity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1995 to 1997 was determined by disc sensitivity. Of 226 isolates, 169 (74.8%) were gram-negative bacilli, with the majority identified as Escherichia coli (28.8%) and Pseudomonas aerugin osa (19%). The isolates of E. coli showed a high prevalence of resistance t o amoxycillin (69%), tetracycline (66.7%), and sulphamethoxazole (43.3%). M oderate resistance to enrofloxacin was observed in E. coli (30%) and P. aer uginosa (13%) isolates. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to sev en antimicrobial agents were determined for 133 bacterial isolates from bus tards during 1996 to 1997. Enrofloxacin (concentration required to inhibit 50% of the isolates [MIC50] < 0.5 mu g/ml) and gentamicin (MIC50 less than or equal to 1.0 mu g/ml) exhibited good activity against both gram-negative bacilli and staphylococci isolated from bustards. Enrofloxacin (MIC50 less than or equal to 1.5 mu g/ml), gentamicin (MIC50 less than or equal to 2.0 mu g/ ml), and piperacillin (MIC50 less than or equal to 4.0 mu g/ml) exhi bited good activity against P. aeruginosa isolates. Amoxycillin/clavulanic acid showed good activity (concentration required to inhibit 90% of the iso lates [MIC50] less than or equal to 2.0 mu g/ml) against gram-positive cocc i and moderate activity (MIC50 less than or equal to 3.0 mu g/ml) against E . coli, Salmonella spp., and Klebsiella spp. Amoxycillin exhibited good act ivity (MIC50 less than or equal to 0.5 mu g/ml) against gram-positive organ isms and moderate activity (MIC50 less than or equal to 1.0 mu g/ml) agains t Salmonella spp. These results provide information on the prevalence of re sistant bacterial strains and the MICs of organisms derived From bustards i n the UAE.