Antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus to eight cephalosporins with special reference to species differentiation.

Agar dilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that Campylobacter jejuni was significantly more resistant than Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus (intestinalis) to cephalosporin C, cephaloridine, cephalothin, cefazolin, and cefamandole. No species differences in susceptibility were noted with cephalexin, cefotaxime, and cefoxitin. Rapid species differentiation on the basis of an antibiogram could be achieved with the disk diffusion method. C jejuni failed to produce a zone of inhibition around a 30-microgram cephalothin disk but produced a significant zone around a 30-microgram nalidixic acid disk. C. fetus subsp. fetus (intestinalis) produced exactly the reverse pattern.