In vitro activity of tigecycline (GAR-936) and other antimicrobials against tetracycline- and ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter clinical isolates

During 2003 in our hospital, 236 clinical faecal Campylobacter spp. were isolated, of which 166 (70%) were resistant to tetracycline and 199 (84%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin by the disk diffusion method. Resistance to both antimicrobial agents was found in 146 isolates (62%). The in vitro activity of tigecycline was compared with that of erythromycin, clindamycin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid using the agar dilution method against 116 selected Campylobacter spp. that were resistant to both tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. The minimum inhibitory concentration at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited (MIC90) was 0.06 mg/L for tigecycline and 4, 2 and 1 μg/mL for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively. The high in vitro activity of tigecycline against tetracycline- and ciprofloxacin-resistant strains suggests a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of infections that involve Campylobacter spp.