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The quantitative measurement of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli at the meta‐population level (meta‐population analysis)
Author(s) -
Humphry R.W.,
Blake D.,
Fenlon D.,
Horgan G.,
Low J.C.,
Gunn G.J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2002.01199.x
Subject(s) - antimicrobial , antibiotic resistance , escherichia coli , biology , population , meta analysis , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , medicine , genetics , environmental health , gene
Aims: To define a method that describes antimicrobial resistance of meta‐populations of bacteria in both a quantitative and biologically meaningful way.
Methods and Results: Using spiral plating and colony counting technology we obtained, from animal faecal samples, the density of Escherichia coli that grow at different concentrations of antibiotic. A mathematical description of this dose–response curve fitted the data well. The parameters of this model have biological meaning and the model allowed subtle differences between meta‐populations to be detected.
Conclusions: This method, termed MPA (meta‐population analysis), is practical and provides a useful quantitative description of antimicrobial resistance in a bacterial meta‐population.
Significance and Impact of the Study: This study shows that resistance can be defined quantitatively. The method may be used in many epidemiological and clinical studies of antimicrobial resistance in animals and humans.