Antibiotic resistance among Shigella strains isolated in the Netherlands during 1989

In the scope of the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance of Shigellae isolated in 1989 and forwarded to the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection for typing, the sensitivity was assessed for the following antimicrobial agents: amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, cefotaxime and furazolidone. 597 isolates, predominantly S.flexneri and S.sonnei, were investigated. A very high resistance incidence (50 to 70%) was found for tetracycline, streptomycin and sulfamethoxazole. As in 1986 to 1988 approximately 30% of the isolates were resistant to sulfanomides and trimethoprim and thus to cotrimoxazole. Moreover, approximately 50% of the S.flexneri isolates was resistant to amoxicillin (ampicillin) and chloramphenicol. Nalidixic acid or/and norfloxacin resistant resistant strains were not found.GH