Antibiotic resistance trends in enteropathogenic bacteria isolated in 1985-1987 and 1995-1998 in Barcelona

Trends in resistance to antimicrobial agents used for therapy have been eva luated with 3,797 enteropathogenic bacteria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shi gella, and Yersinia, between 1985-1987 and 1995-1998. The greater increase in the rate of resistance was observed in Campylobacter jejuni for quinolon es (from 1 to 82%) and tetracycline (from 23 to 72%) and in gastroenteric s almonellae for ampicillin (from 8 to 44%), chloramphenicol (from 1.7 to 26% ), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and nalidixic acid (from less than 0.5 to 11%). Multi-drug resistance was detected in several Salmonella serotype s. In the 1995-1998 period, 76% of Shigella strains mere resistant to trime thoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 43% were resistant to ampicillin, and 39% were re sistant to chloramphenicol. Seventy-two percent of Yersinia enterocolitica O3 strains were resistant to streptomycin, 45% were resistant to sulfonamid es, 28% were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and 20% were resis tant to chloramphenicol.