[Macrolid resistance in Staphylococcus aureus strains from chicken synovitis and dermatitis in industrial production]

In outbreaks of synovitis and dermatitis in chicken caused by Staphylococcus (Staph.) aureus we observed erythromycin-resistant strains. These strains belong to the host-specific variety gallinae of Staph. aureus or can not be alloted to one of the known host-specific varieties. The macrolide-resistance-determinant is not carried by a plasmid, presumably it is located on the chromosome. The strains show constitutively cross-resistance to erythromycin, thurimycin, linomycinc and pristinamycin (M-L-S-phenotype). An ecological investigation in a chicken farm has shown that there is no distribution of Staph. aureus-strains from chicken to workers and no occurence of macrolide-resistance in Staph. aureus-strains from the workers.