Antimicrobial susceptibility of nontyphoidal Salmonella isolated from humans in Belgium.

Human nontyphoidal Salmonella infections are the primary cause of foodborne disease in developed countries, resulting in considerable morbidity and occasionally death, especially in immunocompromised patients. Strains of Salmonella that are resistant to antimicrobial agents have become a world-wide health problem. Fluoroquinolones are drugs of choice for treatment of human invasive salmonellosis, and have been useful for the treatment of infections caused by multi-resistant strains.

PCR typing of tetracycline resistance determinants (Tet A-E) in Salmonella enterica serotype Hadar and in the microbial community of activated sludges from hospital and urban wastewater treatment facilities in Belgium.

The distribution of tetracycline resistance determinants Tet A-E was studied by PCR in 40 tetracycline-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Hadar (S. hadar) isolates collected from human patients in 1996 and 1997, as well as in the microbial community originating from activated sludges of hospital and urban wastewater treatment facilities. A fast DNA extraction and purification method from activated sludges was used to provide amplifiable DNA.

[Characterization of antibiotic resistance plasmids in 2 strains of Salmonella typhi isolated in Belgium].

Two strains of Salmonella typhi resistant to streptomycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and sulfonamides were studied. Conjugation and analysis of plasmid DNA suggested that in the two strains, these resistance characters were mediated by a single R plasmid. The plasmids of both strains belonged to the FI-incompatibility group, whereas that isolated from the resistant Mexican S.