Incidence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in underground water

Bacteria other than fecal coliform were isolated from the negative Eijkman test tubes by streaking on eosin methylene blue agar plates. A total of 101 isolates from underground water pumped from three water works in Cairo were classified into genera or groups according to their morphological, cultural and physiological characters and tested for their resistance towards four commonly used antibiotics namely chloramphenicol, tetracycline, neomycin, penicillin and one chemotherapeutic agent namely 2-sulfanilamide pyrimidine. Results showed that 77 and 64 isolates were resistant to penicillin and 2-sulfanilamide pyrimidine and in addition, 32 isolates were resistant to tetracycline. Only 18 and 8 isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol and neomycin, respectively. It was also found that 19 isolates belonging to 6 genera or groups were sensitive towards all of the tested compounds.