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Date of Award

4-9-2000

Document Type

Restricted Thesis: Campus only access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Paula Lessem

Abstract

Members of Enterobacteriaceae from ground turkey and fish were isolated. Seven different bacterial species (4 from fish & 3 from turkey), including Proteus vularis, Enterobactor aerogenes and Morganella morganii were isolated and identified using enterotubes. The level of antibiotic resistance of each species was determined by determining the MIC or minimum inhibitory concentration of each of 8 different antibiotics including tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chorotetracycline, ampicillin, cephalothin, penicillin, streptomycin and chloramphenical. Levels of antibiotic resistance varied both within and among organisms, although all of the organisms with the exception of Serratia plymuthica showed marked resistance to penicillin. Induction of antibiotic (tetracycline) resistance of three species, Enterobactor aerogenes (turkey), Shigella Srgps ABC (turkey) and Proteus vularis (fish), each exhibiting low resistance to tetracycline (MIC= 1.95 ug/mL) was attempted by exposing each species to tetracycline concentrations of 1 ug/mL, 0.75 ug/mL, 0.5 ug/mL and 0.01 ug/mL for 12 days. According to post-induction MIC's there was an increase in tetracycline resistance at each induction concentration for each species with exception of one (P. vulgaris - fish, 0.01 ug/mL), with some MIC increases as high as 4 and 5 fold. Antibiotic resistance was most pronounced at higher induction concentrations in all three species.

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