Open AccessThe influence of antibacterial agents on the complexity of the Escherichia coli flora of chickens
Author(s) -
Hinton M.,
Lim S.K.,
Linton A.H.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02190.x
Subject(s) - chloramphenicol , oxytetracycline , biology , streptomycin , escherichia coli , ampicillin , neomycin , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , gentamicin , trimethoprim , genetics , gene
Escherichia coli isolates from young chickens were differentiated into strains on the basis of biotype and resistance pattern. The complexity of the faecal E. coli flora varied in birds purchased at different times from the same hatchery. Dosing of the water with ampicillin (Ap), gentamicin (Gm), oxytetracycline (Ot) and trimethoprim (Tm), and also with neomycin (Nm) and streptomycin (Sm) together, but not chloramphenicol (Cm) and Nm, was associated with the selection, during the period of administration, of E. coli strains resistant to the given agent. This increase in incidence of resistance was not associated with a consistent change in the isolation rate of E. coli strains, suggesting that dosing with antibiotics did not have any specific effect on the complexity of the E. coli flora of these animals.