Antibiotic resistance of coliforms in drinking water in rural areas.

ABSTRACT

The antibiotic sensitivity of 197 coliform sp. isolated from drinking water in five rural areas was studied. Twelve strains (6.1%) showed multiple antibiotic resistance, three (1.5%) of which were able to transfer the resistances to an Escherichia coli K-12 recipient. It seems unlikely that the occurrence of transmissible multiple antibiotic resistance among coliforms in drinking water in the areas studied poses a significant public health risk.