Direct-plating method for detecting microbial resistance
The conventional method for detecting resistant strains of Escherichia coli directly on plates of McConkey agar lacks proper standardisation. This led the ANTRES project to produce a direct plating method (DPM) for detecting antimicrobial resistance of E. coli in healthy children. The two different methods were then compared. Rectal swabs or swabs from the fresh stools of healthy children were used as a source for faecal material. The children were between the ages of 6 months and 6 years and came from both rural and urban communities. A microbiological analysis was carried out at the same time using the conventional and DPM methods. The DPM turned out to be a rapid, highly sensitive and specific method for analysing drug-resistant E. coli from faecal samples. Furthermore, DPM was ten times cheaper than the conventional technique. The DPM, therefore, represents a valuable tool for undertaking resistance surveillance on a large scale. This enables cost effective resistance control programmes to be undertaken, especially by those countries with limited resources.
