Antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus gallolyticus isolated from humans and animals.

Susceptibilities to some antimicrobial agents and distribution of genes associated with resistance were examined in a total of 66 Streptococcus gallolyticus isolates and reference strains from various sources. All the tested bacteria were susceptible to vancomycin, penicillin G, and ampicillin. Most of the erythromycin-resistant isolates were observed in human clinical samples. Tetracycline and doxycycline resistance was prevalent in the isolates from human patients, diseased animals, and healthy broiler chickens, while the prevalence was significantly lower in the isolates from healthy mammals. All the isolates resistant to tetracycline possessed tet(M) and/or tet(L) and/or tet(O) genes. However, most isolates from healthy animals, which were susceptible to tetracycline, possessed the above-cited resistance genes, implying the potential ability for resistance under exposure to the corresponding antimicrobial agents.