The Effect of Tetracycline upon Establishment of Escherichia coli of Bovine Origin in the Enteric Tract of Man

S ummary . Human volunteers were given orally 0, 50 or 1000 mg of tetracycline/day for the 4 days preceding and the 5 days following ingestion of 1–2 x 10⁶ cells of tetracycline resistant Escherichia coli strain x-314 of bovine origin. Of those receiving 0, 50 or 1000 mg of tetracycline/day, 9/13, 5/9 and 12/13, respectively, excreted the organism at least once during the 25-day sampling period. Significant differences were not observed between subjects receiving 0 or 50 mg of tetracycline/day with respect to the length of time the coliform was recovered from faeces, or the maximum proportion of the total coliforms found to be E. coli x-314. Those receiving 1000 mg of tetracycline/day shed E. coli x-314 for longer periods and the latter's contribution to the coliform population was greater than in those subjects receiving 0 or 50 mg of tetracycline/day. It was concluded that 1000, but not 50 mg, of tetracycline/day taken orally potentiates the establishment of a tetracycline resistant E. coli in the enteric tract of man.