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Companion Animal Vol 17 October 2012 23 © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd caused by the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, the total bacterial burden may be as high as 1012 bacterial cells.3 The significance of high density bacterial populations being present during infection is made clear by observations indicating that in bacterial populations ranging from 107 to 109 CFU/ml, spontaneous mutant bacterial cells with reduced susceptibility (or resistance) to an antimicrobial agent may exist.7,8 In situations where high density populations are exposed to an antimicrobial agent (i.e. during therapy for infection), these resistant subpopulations may be selectively amplified in the presence of the drug if the clinically achievable and sustainable drug concentration is insufficient to block their growth. A number of reports of selection of resistance bacteria during therapy have been published.9 |
