In vitro efficacy of cefquinome (INN) and other anti-infective drugs against bovine bacterial isolates from Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The in vitro antibacterial activity of cefquinome (INN), an aminothiazolyl-cephalosporin of the fourth generation of cephalosporins, was investigated by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC, microgram/ml) for 714 bacterial isolates of bovine origin and comparing it with those of amoxicillin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, ceftiofur, cephapirin, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin and oxytetracycline. Drug resistance was determined by using break-points, which consider the dosage regimen and pharmacokinetics of the veterinary antimicrobials investigated. Cefquinome demonstrated a very high in vitro activity against bacterial isolates of Pasteurella spp., Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Overall, the level of resistance against the different anti-infectives tested was lowest for cefquinome. For the remaining substances examined, in vitro activity and the level of resistance showed considerable differences. The chemical and pharmaceutical features of cefquinome are discussed.