Ciprofloxacin resistant campylobacter.

Ciprofloxacin resistant campylobacterThe recent article by Threlfall et al highlighted the increasing incidence of enterobacteriaceae with low level resistance to ciprofloxacin. 1 The resistance of Salmonella typhi and S paratyphi were also discussed.Campylobacter is by far the commonest cause of bacterial food poisoning in England and Wales and ciprofloxacin is commonly used for treatment, especially in adults.We routinely test for ciprofloxacin sensitivity in our laboratory using a 1 µg disc and report resistance in those isolates showing a zone of less than 2 mm.A retrospective analysis of the campylobacter isolates identified in our laboratory in the last 14 months indicated that 6.7% of isolates were ciprofloxacin resistant.The isolates were identified from 149 diVerent patients (68 male and 63 female; average age 38 years, range nine months to 85 years).In the 10 patients who had a ciprofloxacin resistant strain history of travel abroad was identified in five patients.The resistance of campylobacter isolates in England and Wales, unlike that of salmonella, is not known as there is no central typing system or monitoring of antibiotic resistance.Previous reports in this country indicated a resistance level of 4-5%, with a third of the resistant strains being acquired abroad. 2 3 To quantify the eVect of using quinolones in animal husbandry on the sensitivity of campylobacter species in this country, it is essential to obtain a clear travel history from patients, and antibiotic sensitivity testing of campylobacters isolated from foodstuV should be performed.