ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the biochemical characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia (E.) coli O157 and verotoxin-producing E. coli isolates from the Northern Kyushu Island and Yamaguchi area of Japan. A total of 54 isolates- 50 E. coli O157, 3 verotoxin-producing E. coli O26 and 1 verotoxin-producing E. coli O111 - were used in this study. Regarding H antigen, H7 type in E. coli O157 accounted for 98% (49/50), and residual 1 strain of E. coli O157 was untypable H type. Two of 3 E. coli O26 isolates were H11 type, residual 1 strain of E. coli O26 was untypable H type, and E. coli O111 isolate was non-motile strain. All 54 isolates were susceptible to cephems, fosfomycin, kanamycin, amikacin and co-trimoxazole. Tetracycline-resistant isolates existed in 13 of all 54 isolates, 5 of those 13 isolates had tetA, and the other 7 isolates had tetB. Eight amoxicillin-resistant isolates had TEM-1 beta-lactamase. Four of the 5 isolates that had tetA also had TEM-1 beta-lactamase. Nalidixic acid and 6 fluoroquinolone used had no insensitive or resistant isolates. Kanamycin-resistant isolates, fosfomycin- and nalidixic acid-insensitive isolates have been reported, so we must notice the antibiogram of such strains. It is important that the surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of enterohemorragic E. coli should be continued after this.
