Spontaneous quinolone resistance in the zoonotic serovar of Vibrio vulnificus.

This work demonstrates that Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2-serovar E, an eel pathogen able to infect humans, can become resistant to quinolone by specific mutations in gyrA (substitution of serine at position 83 by isoleucine) and to some fluoroquinolones by additional mutations in parC (substitution of serine at position 85 by lysine). Thus, to avoid the selection of resistant strains that are potentially pathogenic for humans, antibiotics other than quinolones must be used to treat vibriosis on farms.