ARS | Publication request: Identification of Multiresistant Salmonella Capable of Subsisting on Antibiotics

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 10, 2010
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Citation: Barnhill, A.E., Weeks, K.E., Xiong, N., Day, T.A., Carlson, S.A. 2010. Identification of Multiresistant Salmonella Capable of Subsisting on Antibiotics. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76(8):2678-2680.

Interpretive Summary: Bacterial often die when exposed to antibiotics although some can survive this insult. Recently, soil bacteria were found to be able to subsist on antibiotics. That is, these microbes can use the antibiotics as food sources. This study assessed the ability of Salmonella (572 isolates) to subsist on 12 different antibiotics. The majority (11/12) of the antibiotics provided subsistence to at least one of 140 isolates while 40 of these isolates displayed the ability to subsist on more than one antibiotic. This is the first study to demonstrate this phenomenon in Salmonella.

Technical Abstract: This study assessed the ability of Salmonella (572 isolates) to subsist on 12 different antibiotics. The majority (11/12) of the antibiotics provided subsistence to at least one of 140 isolates while 40 of these isolates displayed the ability to subsist on more than one antibiotic. This is the first study to demonstrate this phenomenon in Salmonella. Keywords: Salmonella, antibiotic, resistance