Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes of shigella isolates from three regions (Northern, Southern and Central) of Viet Nam

ABSTRACT

119 isolates of Shigella with multi-drug resistant (100 Shigella flexneri) to chloramphenicol (Cm), ampicillin (Ap), tetracyclin (Te), trimethoprim (Tr), sulfamethoxazole (Su) from Northern, Central and Southern regions of Viet Nam during a period of 1995-1997 were investigated for the ability to transfer gene trains by method of conjugation. 59.2% strains were transferable in vitro to E.coli K12 with frequence from 10-7 to 10-5 (65.8% strains from Northern, 54.8% strains from Central and 57.5% strains from Southern regions). Almost all the antibiotic resistance genes were transfered with 10 different patterns of resistance; Ap, Tr, Su being the most frequent patters 45.7% strains fro Northern, 30.8% strains from Southern and 25.6% strains from Central regions.