Susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens type A to 23 antimicrobial drugs.

A total of 106 strains of Clostridium perfringens type A, that had been isolated very recently from faecal cultures of healthy adults, were examined for susceptibility to 23 antimicrobial drugs (agar dilution method). All strains were susceptible to ampicillin, cefazolin, cefotaxime, cefotetan, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, fusidic acid, imipenem, metronidazole, mezlocillin, ofloxacin, penicillin G, piperacillin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin. Teicoplanin and imipenem were the most active, whereas fosfomycin and tetracycline were the least active drugs. Three of the 106 strains revealed multiple drug resistance against clindamycin, erythromycin, josamycin, tetracycline, and, in one instance, against chloramphenicol.