Antimicrobial Sensitivity of Campylobacter Isolates

Abstract

During an epidemiological survey in 1994, major contamination of fresh chicken breast meat with Campylobacter and/or Salmonella was observed. In total 1853 meat samples of French, Dutch and German origin were bought in supermarkets of the Cologne area of which 885 (48%) were found to be contaminated with Campylobacter and/or Salmonella. This part of the study aimed to determine the in vitro susceptibility of Campylobacter isolates to a selection of antimicrobial agents: erythromycin, tetracycline, nalidixic acid and enrofloxacin. Erythromycin and other macrolides are drugs of choice in severe cases of human Campylobacter enteritis, but fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines are also used. The fluoroquinolone enrofloxacin is being used for therapy of bacterial diseases in poultry. Moreover, the antimicrobial susceptibility of the above Salmonella isolates was determined.