Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance in Surrogates of Francisella tularensis (LVS and Francisella novicida): Effects on Biofilm Formation and Fitness.

ABSTRACT: Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is capable of causing disease in a multitude of mammals and remains a formidable human pathogen due to a high morbidity, low infectious dose, lack of a FDA approved vaccine, and ease of aerosolization. For these reasons, there is concern over the use of F. tularensis as a biological weapon, and, therefore, it has been classified as a Tier 1 select agent. Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides often serve as the first line of defense for treatment of tularemia. However, high levels of resistance to these antibiotics has been observed in gram-negative bacteria in recent years, and naturally derived resistant Francisella strains have been described in the literature. The acquisition of antibiotic resistance, either n

SUBMITTER: Biot FV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7661474 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature