Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance in Pasteurellaceae
Stefan Schwarz
from: Pasteurellaceae: Biology, Genomics and Molecular Aspects (Edited by: Peter Kuhnert and Henrik Christensen). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2008)
Abstract
Members of the family Pasteurellaceae cause a wide variety of diseases in humans and animals. Antimicrobial agents represent the most powerful tools to control such infections. Acquisition of resistance genes as well as development of resistance-mediating mutations, however, strongly reduce the efficacy of the antimicrobial agents. In this chapter, a review of the current knowledge of the genetic basis of resistance to antimicrobial agents is given with particular reference to resistances to β-lactam antibiotics, tetracyclines, amino-glycosides/aminocyclitols, phenicols, sulfonamides, trimethoprim, macrolides, and quinolones. Moreover, the role of plasmids and transposons in the spread of the resistance genes among Pasteurellaceae and members of other bacterial families is highlighted to provide insight into the possibilities of horizontal dissemination, co-selection and persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes read more ...
