Open AccessSpontaneous Implantation of Antibiotic-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the Digestive Tract of Chickens in the Absence of Selective Pressure
Author(s) -
J.F. Guillot,
Élisabeth Chaslus-Dancla,
Jean-Pierre Lafont
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.12.6.697
Subject(s) - antibiotics , enterobacteriaceae , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , bacteria , population , digestive tract , gastrointestinal tract , antibiotic resistance , medicine , biochemistry , genetics , environmental health , gene
In the absence of selective pressure by antibiotics, resistant enterobacteria implanted rapidly in the intestinal tract of chickens, where these organisms subsequently persisted in high numbers. Food could be an important source of this contamination: resistantEscherichia coli present in small numbers in the diet became rapidly and persistently established in the gut. The human caretaker played a passive role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria between separate groups of chickens. Resistant enteric organisms colonized the gut of animals, with different population sizes. Some strains were able to reach high numbers (107 to 109 /g), and other strains established themselves at a lower level (103 to 105 /g), whereas a third type seemed to be only transient inhabitants, unable to persist.