Resistance of bacteria from human faecal flora to antimicrobial agents

The faecal bacteria from 197 hospital patients, 58 laboratory workers, 66 urban dwellers, and 19 rural dwellers were examined for resistance to five antimicrobial agents (ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, kanamycin, gentamicin). In the majority (68.5%) of faecal samples from people without a recent history of taking antibiotics, 10% or more of the total organisms were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics. This extensive study revealed a high prevalence of resistant bacteria in the gut flora of ambulatory and hospitalized individuals whether or not they were taking antibiotics.