[Increase of bacterial resistance in human medicine by resistance genes of bacteria from meat supplying animals].

Two different groups of bacteria carrying genes encoding for resistance to antibiotics may be transmitted from animals to humans via food products: a.) obligate infectious agents (enteric pathogens, e.g. Salmonella enterica spp., Campylobacter spp., EHEC) and b) facultative pathogenic species (e.g. E. coli, enterococci). Thus far, it is unknown whether genes encoding for resistance to antibiotics from these bacteria may be transferred to bacteria in normal flora of the host. The transfers of genes encoding for resistance to vancomycin from animal sources to the mucosa of humans has been suggested. Thus, there is a threat that these plasmid-encoded resistance genes may also be transferred to other gram-positive organisms present in the human flora. Vancomycin is the antibiotic in reserve for treatment of infections caused by oxacillin (methicillin) resistant strains of S. aureus and by strains of pneumococcus resistant to penicillin.