In vitro activities of enoxacin, enrofloxacin, sparfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin against Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic lambs and kids.

The in vitro activities of four fluoroquinolone compounds were tested against 92 Escherichia coli strains of ovine and caprine origin under aerobic and anaerobic incubation conditions. The four fluoroquinolones proved to be highly effective against the E. coli isolates tested. When bacteria were cultured anaerobically, at least fourfold increases in the MICs of enoxacin for the strains occurred and no detectable changes in enrofloxacin, sparfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin MICs occurred.