Antibiotic susceptibilities of Salmonella species isolated at a large animal veterinary medical center: a three year study.

The research discusses a study done over three years monitoring the antibiotic resistance of Salmonella species found in large animals, and suggests a reassessment of antibiotic use in veterinary medicine to treat Salmonella infections.

Overview of the Study

• The research was conducted over three years, from 1981 to 1983, during which the antibiotic resistance profiles (antibiograms) of 408 Salmonella species isolated from large animals were studied.
• The most common Salmonella group detected was group B.

Findings on Antibiotic Resistance

• A high percentage of the Salmonella isolates exhibited resistance to two common antibiotics — ampicillin and tetracycline.
• An upward trend of resistance to chloramphenicol and gentamicin — two other commonly used antibiotics — was observed specifically among Salmonella serogroup B isolates.
• Conversely, susceptibility of the isolates to neomycin, another type of antibiotic, increased.
• Among group E isolates, susceptibility to the combination antibiotic sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim reduced.
• However, these changes were not as significant or worrying as the increase in resistance to chloramphenicol and gentamicin.

Implications and Recommendations

• The trend toward rising resistance to certain antibiotics and decreasing susceptibility to others among Salmonella species could imply that existing practices in the use of antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine could be contributing to these shifts.
• The researchers thus recommend a reassessment or evaluation of the principles and practices concerning the use of these remedies in veterinary medicine, particularly for treating Salmonella infections.