Antibiotic resistance associated with inositol metabolism in salmonellae from ontario cattle.

During 12 months in 1983-1984, Salmonellae were isolated from cattle 110 times. Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella muenster were the most prevalent serotypes identified. All isolates were sensitive to polymyxin B. Isolates that did not produce acid from inositol were more frequently resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin, kanamycin, sulfisoxazole, tetracycline and neomycin than isolates which could. Salmonella muenster isolates, which were almost exclusively inositol positive, demonstrated a high frequency of senstivity to commonly used antibiotics. The antibiotic sensitivities of the S. typhimurium isolates showed much greater variability, with multiple antibiotic resistance being frequently associated with those isolates that were inositol negative.