Forty-four strains of Escherichia coli isolated from mussel samples collected in the city of Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, were evaluated in terms of antimicrobial sensitivity. Twenty-four antimicrobials were tested, and different standards of behavior could be observed. All strains evaluated presented total sensitivity to only 41.66% of the antimicrobials (R, Ac, C, To, Fx, Cz, Ct, NT, Cp, and GE) and total resistance to 4.16% of the antimicrobials (Ca). The strain number eighteen presented sensitivity to 95.83% of the antimicrobials, whereas the strain number thirty presented resistance to 41.66% of the antimicrobials. Based on the results obtained, it is important to consider the health risk posed by raw fish consumption, especially filter-feeding bivalves, contaminated by microorganisms resistant to different antimicrobials since they may be involved in processes of human reinfection causing gastroenteritis.
Escherichia coli; antimicrobial sensitivity; mussel
