Antimicrobial resistance of strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group isolated from the intestinal tract of children and adults in Brazil

The results of this study show that there is a high frequency of resistant species in the Bacteroides fragilis group in the intestinal tract of childr en and adults in Brazil. B. fragilis was not studied. Of the 73 strains exa mined, B. distasonis was the most resistant species to penicillin, cefoxiti n, cefotaxime and clindamycin. High rates of multiresistance were found, mo st commonly to penicillin and clindamycin (18 of 36 strains). High levels o f beta -lactamase production were detected in isolates showing high resista nce to penicillin and multiresistance to the cephamycins, suggesting a wide spread dissemination of such resistance. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.