Potential of topical norfloxacin therapy. Comparative in vitro activity against clinical ocular bacterial isolates.

Norfloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic related to nalidixic acid, was evaluated as a topical agent for clinical efficacy in bacterial eye infections. This study reports on the comparative in vitro activity of norfloxacin and ten topical antibiotics (nalidixic acid, polymyxin B, colistin, bacitracin, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin) against 203 pathogenic eye isolates of 17 genera (37 species). In general, norfloxacin had the greatest potency and broadest spectrum of activity of the agents tested. It was active against Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration against 90% [MIC90], less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/mL), coagulase-negative staphylococci (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/mL), and Haemophilus organisms (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/mL).

Aerobic bacterial oral flora of garter snakes: development of normal flora and pathogenic potential for snakes and humans.

Garter snakes that are used for scientific laboratory studies or kept as exotic pets often become ill and die early in captivity. They may also act as reservoirs of potential human pathogens or transmit infection to man. A total of 126 strains of aerobic and facultative bacteria, most potential human and snake pathogens, were isolated from 82 garter snake oropharyngeal cultures. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were the most common species isolated. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Hafnia alvei, Arizona hinshawii, Salmonella species, Shigella species, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were among the potential pathogens isolated. The spectrum of bacteria with potential for causing oral and pulmonary infections in garter snakes is greater than has been previously appreciated. Garter snakes should also be considered reservoirs of human pathogens, and appropriate precautions should be taken by laboratory personnel and pet owners.

Susceptibility of Eikenella corrodens to newer and older quinolones.

The susceptibilities of 44 clinical strains and a reference strain (ATCC 23834) of Eikenella corrodens were determined by agar dilution. All isolates were very susceptible (MICs, less than 2 micrograms/ml) to amifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, difloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and Win 35439.

Susceptibility of bite wound bacteria to seven oral antimicrobial agents, including RU-985, a new erythromycin: considerations in choosing empiric therapy.

The susceptibility of 93 aerobic and 59 anaerobic bacteria isolated from human and animal bite wounds was determined by agar dilution. No agent tested (penicillin, oxacillin, cephalexin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, minocycline, erythromycin, and RU-965) was consistently active against all isolates. A total of 21% of the Bacteroides species, all isolated from human bites, were resistant to penicillin; 14 and 18% of the Pasteurella multocida isolates were resistant to erythromycin and oxacillin, respectively.