PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Antimicrobial resistance of 274 E. coli isolates from farm workers, nondiarrhoeic and diarrhoeic piglets to 11 antimicrobial agents was investigated to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of E. coli. Five pig farms were involved in this study. Antimicrobial resistance xvas significantly higher (P<0.01) and almost 100% for sulphasoxazole, streptomycin and tetracyline in porcine isolates compared with human isolates. The mean percentages of antibiotic resistance between farms were not significantly different (P>0.05) irrespective of source of isolate. Statistical analysis showed that the antibiotic resistances were significantly lower (P<0.05) in farm worker isolates than in nondiarrhoeic and diarrhoeic piglet isolates. The percentages of isolates resistant to at least eight antibiotics were 27.7, 5.6 and 1.0 for isolates from diarrhoeic, nondiarrhoeic piglets and farm workers respectively. The present study also indicated that the mean antimicrobial resistance was significantly higher in larger farms (P<0.01) and in farms without a resident veterinarian (P<0.05).