In vivo spread of infectious drug resistance in turkeys.

Multiresistant Salmonella typhimurium donor and multisensitive Escherichia coli recipient spread from the infected group of turkey poults to the control group. Contact poults given only the S typhimurium donor and placed in the same cage with infected poults given both the donor and the E coli recipient exhibited in vivo patterns of antibiotic drug resistance transfer similar to the patterns obtained in the infected poults. This in vivo spread of antibiotic drug resistance in turkeys was established for the first time. Results indicated that the potential in vivo spread of infectious drug resistance could occur in nature.