Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine the comparative incidence of drug-resistant coliforms and salmonellae in the water and bottom sediments of six coastal canal communities which are used heavily for recreational activities. Of a total of 423 coliforms, 300 fecal coliforms and 100 salmonella isolates examined, 74.9% coliforms, 61.3% fecal coliforms and 71.0% salmonellae were resistant to one or more of the 12 antibiotics tested. Multiple resistance occurred in 48.9% coliforms, 32.7% fecal coliforms and 68.0% salmonella strains. A total of 178 coliforms, 137 fecal coliforms and 51 salmonella isolates were tested for the presence of resistance transfer factors, and 53.9%, 53.3% and 56.9% isolates, respectively, were capable of transferring their resistance patterns to Escherichia coli and/or Salmonella choleraesuis recipient strains. A significantly higher number of drug-resistant bacteria carrying R-factors (R+) was found to occur in sediment than in surface water.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 349-356 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Water Research |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1979 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledoemems--This work is a result of a research program sponsored in part by the Texas A & M University Sea Grant College Program, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Sea Grant. Department of Commerce, under grant No. 04-6-158-44108. The technical assistance of Clarence Johnson and Robert Hinton is gratefully acknowledged.