[Transmissible drug resistance in E. coli isolated from calves]

The study of 30 strains of Escherichia coli, isolated from calves on various farms of the district of Haskovo, revealed that 70.0% of them manifested resistance to drugs. The capacity of calf E. coli organisms of being donors of resistance factors pointed to the episomal nature of their polyresistance. The comparatively readily effected transmission of drug resistance from E. coli isolated from calves was shown to be potential clinical and epizootic hazard. Such animals proved to be carriers and a source of R+ Escherichia coli organisms. It was found that the transmission of drug resistance was not coupled with the transmission of chromosomal inheritance. A high frequency of the drug-resistance transmission phenomenon was established.