Transferable antibiotic resistance [R-factors] in escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with enteritis

ABSTRACT

The resistant patterns of 98 tetracycline resistant trains of E. coli previously isolated from buffalo-calves with enteritis, were studied. These strains were mated with an Escherichia coli and salmonella typhimurium recipient strains. Fifty nine per cent of them could transfer their tetracycline resistance to the recipient coli strain, while 66% could transfer it to the salmonella recipient strain. The relatively high incidence of transferable tetracycline resistance may be a result of the common practice of its use in controlling and preventing respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases in calves in Egypt. The practical measure to control the spread of this resistance factore is to minimize the use of this drug in veterinary medicine