Human intestinal bacteria as reservoirsfor antibiotic resistance genes
Abigail A. Salyers, Anamika Gupta and Yanping Wang
Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Human intestinal bacteria have many roles in human
through the human colon on a regular basis are pathogens
health, most of which are beneficial or neutral for the
such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus
host. In this review, we explore a more sinister side of
aureus; these bacteria are normally found in the nose or
intestinal bacteria; their role as traffickers in antibiotic
throat but can pass through the colon if swallowed
resistance genes. Evidence is accumulating to support
Until recently, such bacteria were thought to be transients
the hypothesis that intestinal bacteria not only
that spent little time in the human colon, but some recent
exchange resistance genes among themselves but
reports suggest that S. aureus might transiently or
might also interact with bacteria that are passing
persistently colonize the human colon in low numbers,
through the colon, causing these bacteria to acquire
especially in hospitalized patients In addition to
and transmit antibiotic resistance genes.
such pathogenic transients, there are potentially patho-genic members of the intestinal microflora itself, such as
Until recently, bacterial pathogens were the primary focus
Escherichia coli, Enterococcus species, Clostridium
of studies of antibiotic resistance genes and their spread.
species and Bacteroides species . Is it possible
Now, scientists are starting to wonder whether this focus
that such diverse bacteria can and do regularly exchange
is too narrow. Could the microflora of the human colon,
DNA under conditions found in the human colon?
normally considered innocuous or beneficial, be playing amore sinister role in human health as reservoirs for
Assessing the extent to which resistance gene transfer
antibiotic resistance genes? The reservoir hypothesis is
depicted in According to this view, human
How can the actual extent of resistance gene transfer in
intestinal bacteria not only share resistance genes among
the human colon be assessed? One approach would be to
themselves but can also acquire from or donate resistance
feed people resistant animal bacteria, then determine
genes to bacteria that are just passing through the
whether genes carried by these bacteria enter human
intestine . The possibility that resistance gene spread
colonic bacteria. This approach has not been taken for two
in the human colon might be a serious threat to human
obvious reasons. First, such an experiment would be
health was first raised in connection with post-surgical
considered unethical in most countries. Second, such a
infections, which are usually caused by the normal
study would be prohibitively expensive, especially in view
microflora of the patient or the patient’s caretakers .
of the fact that it is not clear how long the duration of the
Recently, concern about resistance gene transfers in the
sample collection period should be. Such a study could
human colon has expanded to include agriculture
alternatively be done in laboratory animals. Notably,
There is no question that feeding antibiotics to livestock to
enhance an animal’s growth selects for antibiotic resistantbacteria in the animal’s intestine but to what
extent are such bacteria a threat to human health? Afterall, farms are located at a considerable distance fromplaces, such as cities, where high concentrations of people
are found. Nonetheless, there is a very significant link
between farm and city: the food supply. It is now wellestablished that antibiotic resistant bacteria from chick-
ens, pigs and cattle enter the food supply and can be foundin meat offered for sale in supermarkets
Figure 1. The resistance gene reservoir hypothesis. Bacteria that normally reside inthe human colon, most of which are normally benign, transfer resistance genes
If these foods are not properly cooked, the resistant
among themselves. This type of transfer becomes a problem if the commensals,
bacteria will enter the intestinal tracts of consumers and
many of which are opportunistic pathogens, go on to cause post-surgicalinfections. Bacteria that are merely passing through the human colon will be in
will have the opportunity to commingle with members of
transit through the colon long enough to transfer or acquire genes by conjugation.
the resident human microflora . Also passing
These bacteria might return to the sites where they are usually found (e.g. themouth and skin) by contamination of these sites with excreted bacteria. Gene
Corresponding author: Abigail A. Salyers ([email protected]).
transfer could be occurring in the mouth, where thick biofilms are found, but here
we focus on the colon for simplicity.
0966-842X/$ - see front matter Q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tim.2004.07.004
there have been a few reports of resistance gene transfer
subgroup of these strains revealed that all the tetQ genes
in laboratory animals. For example, transfer of antibiotic
were at least 94% identical and the ermF genes had even
resistance genes among enterococci has been demon-
fewer sequence differences. The increased carriage of
strated in germfree rodents In another study, a
these genes over the past three decades indicated that
species of Lactococcus was eliminated from the normal
horizontal transfer was occurring frequently enough to
microflora of rodents and replaced by an antibiotic
have spread these genes widely over a time period that is
resistant strain of the same species . Transfer of a
small in evolutionary terms . In addition, the fact that
plasmid carrying an antibiotic resistance gene was
the genes were found in people with no recent history of
demonstrated in this model. A problem with interpreting
antibiotic use (community isolates) indicates that these
the results of studies that use laboratory rodents is that
genes are maintained stably once they are acquired. This
the normal microflora of rodents is different from that of
is bad news for those who have accepted as an article of
humans. Also, the use of germfree animals eliminates the
faith that susceptible strains are inherently more fit than
bulk of the microflora that is normally present and focuses
resistant ones and that stopping use of an antibiotic would
attention on normally minor populations that in the
inevitably result in the disappearance of the resistant
germfree animal become the predominant bacteria.
strain. Importantly, stably maintained antibiotic resist-
Given the problems inherent in such prospective
ance genes are fairly common and in many cases resistant
studies, a second, retrospective approach has been
bacteria hold their own quite well when faced with
taken, where DNA sequences were determined for
competition with resistant strains .
resistance genes found in different bacteria in the
To determine what type of element was transferring
human colon or in other sites and were compared. The
tetQ, DNA from some of the strains carrying tetQ was
assumption is that if genes found in two different bacterial
probed with DNA from a conjugative transposon known to
species are at least 95% identical, then this gene must
carry tetQ, known as CTnDOT. The digest pattern on a
have been transferred horizontally by one means or
Southern blot was consistent with tetQ being part of a
another. The 95% cutoff is somewhat arbitrary, but finding
conjugative transposon in the CTnDOT family
nearly identical sequences in different species rules out
CTnDOT and related conjugative transposons have an
the possibility of convergent evolution, where selective
unusual feature. Their transfer is stimulated 100–1000
pressures on different bacteria produce proteins that are
fold by tetracycline . Therefore, it is possible that
virtually identical even though they evolved separately.
the extensive transfer of tetQ, which has occurred during
Because selection is for a specific amino acid sequence and
the past three decades, was triggered by the use of
not for a specific DNA sequence, third base differences
enable the DNA sequences that encode identical proteins
However, there could be other stimulatory conditions. A
surprising finding of this survey was that even during thepre-1970 years, when tetracycline had not yet been widely
Getting the goods on intestinal anaerobesIn our studies, we chose to focus on Bacteroides species.
used, the carriage of tetQ was as high as 20–30% ().
Similar to the strains found in the 1990 s, tetQ was carried
the human colon Because of their high concen-
on a CTnDOT type element in the earlier isolates.
tration, they appear most likely to be involved in
Consequently, horizontal gene transfer was occurring
horizontal gene transfer events. Bacteroides species
even before heavy use of tetracycline was begun .
harbor two types of conjugative elements: conjugative
Another surprising outcome of this survey was the
plasmids and conjugative transposons .
finding that two other erm genes in addition to ermF –
Initially, two resistance genes were monitored in natural
ermB and ermG – had moved into Bacteroides
isolates of Bacteroides species: tetQ and ermF To
species during the period between 1970 and the 1990 s
date, tetQ has only been found on conjugative transposons
(). These erm genes had previously been associated
in Bacteroides spp. The ermF gene has been found on both
almost exclusively with Gram-positive bacteria, not with
conjugative transposons and conjugative plasmids
the Gram-negative Bacteroides species Sub-
. A survey of 289 strains, representing more than
sequent studies have shown that ermB and ermG are
10 different Bacteroides species, revealed that in the
carried on conjugative transposons that are unrelated at
period before 1970, 20–30% of isolates carried tetQ,
the DNA sequence level to any conjugative transposons
whereas ermF was found only rarely. By contrast, in the
found in Bacteroides species to date . This raises
1990 s, over 80% of strains carried tetQ and 15% carried
the possibility that ermB and ermG have entered
ermF () . DNA sequence analysis of a selected
Bacteroides species from Gram-positive bacteria.
Table 1. Prevalence of tetQ, ermF, ermG and ermB genes in colonic Bacteroides spp.
aBacteroides isolates from the colon of people who were healthy and did not have a history of recent antibiotic use. bIsolates from people with Bacteroides infections.
Transactions between major populations of intestinal
Research of the sort described in this review has been
As already mentioned, Bacteroides species account for
controversial because it can be interpreted as support for
w20–30% of bacteria isolated from the human colon. Most
concerns about possible effects of agricultural use of
of the remaining 70–80% of colonic isolates consists of
antibiotics on bacteria that cause human infections.
poorly characterized Gram-positive anaerobes. The well-
People in the animal agricultural field are quick to point
studied facultative species, such as E. coli and the
out that currently there is no ‘smoking gun’ linking the
enterococci, are numerically minor, constituting less
use of antibiotics on the farm with the appearance of
than 1% of colonic isolates A question that needs to
resistance genes in human pathogens and subsequent
be answered is what types of conjugative elements are
treatment failures resulting from agriculture-associated
found in the Gram-positive anaerobes, and are these
resistance gene transfer. It is important to remember,
bacteria participating in a significant way in the exchange
however, that absence of evidence is not the same as
of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria in the
evidence of absence. The diversity of bacteria found in the
various microfloras of the human and animal body is
The original question raised in this article was whether
staggering. Most of these bacteria and the resistance
members of the normal flora of the human intestine could
genes they carry have not been studied a great deal. The
exchange genes with bacterial pathogens that might be
fact that conjugative transposons, which were unknown
present in low numbers or just passing through the
until recently, appear to be a driving force in the transfer
intestine. Evidence that such transfers can and do happen
of antibiotic resistance genes in the human body is
is summarized in where several genes are shown
unexpected and illustrates the principle that scientists
along with the genera in which they have been found. In
know a lot less than they think they do about mechanisms
the case of the erm genes, the sequence identity of the
of horizontal gene transfer in nature . It is
genes found in different species is usually 99% or higher.
important that we establish what selective or stimulatorypressures are driving the spread of antibiotic resistance
The ermB gene has been found in a variety of pathogenic
genes so that we can assess the relative contributions of
Gram-positive bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumo-
different types of antibiotic use or other human activities
niae and Clostridium perfringens The ermB and
to this spread. Only then will it be possible to design
ermG genes were found in more than one species, there-
effective strategies for preventing further increases in the
fore these genes appear to have entered Bacteroides
incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
species more than once in the past One of thefew reports that implicates the human colonic Gram-positive anaerobes in resistance gene transfer is a recent
report of vancomycin resistance genes, such as those
This article has focused on the transfer of antibiotic
found in pathogenic enterococci, in the colonic anaerobe
resistance genes in nature, but gene transfer among
It is also worth noting that bacteria from different sites
appear to be exchanging genes. For example, Porphyro-monas gingivalis is an oral anaerobe and Prevotella
ruminicola is normally found in the rumen of cattle and
the intestines of pigs. It is easy to imagine howP. gingivalis might be involved in gene transfers because
it is constantly being swallowed, and strains from the
colon could be reintroduced into the mouth by the fecal-
Streptococcus spp. Clostridia spp.
oral route. How a rumen anaerobe, which is very sensitiveto oxygen, made contact with human colonic bacteria
(if that is where P. ruminicola picked up tetQ) and then
made it back into the animal is harder to imagine.
A caveat is in order. The strategy of using virtually
identical genes found in different genera and species to
deduce that there is some genetic conduit open betweenthose species has a couple of limitations. First, it is usually
not possible to ascertain the direction of the transfer. The
only reason we feel comfortable about saying that ermG
and ermB appear to have entered Bacteroides species from
some other species of bacteria is that the pre-1970 strainsdid not carry these genes. A second limitation is that there
Figure 2. Evidence that transfer of resistance genes occurs between Gram-positive
is no way to ascertain how many transfers it took for a
and Gram-negative bacteria in the mammalian colon and in other environmentalsites. This evidence consists of finding virtually identical resistance genes in natural
gene to move between two of the species shown in .
isolates representing different bacterial species. The resistance gene is contained in
Moreover, there are almost certainly unknown players,
the oval that connects the Gram-positive (left boxes) and Gram-negative (right
such as the Gram positive colonic anaerobes and even soil
boxes) bacterial species, in which virtually identical copies of the resistance genehave been found. Examples of possible transfer events are shown here, however,
this is not meant as a complete listing of all cases found in the literature.
bacteria has broader reaching consequences. Plasmids
14 Glynn, M.K. et al. (1998) Emergence of multidrug-resistance Salmo-
and conjugative transposons carry genes in addition to
nella enterica serotype Typhimurium DT104 infections in the UnitedStates. N. Engl. J. Med. 338, 1333–1338
antibiotic resistance genes, such as nitrogen fixation
15 Coque, T.M. et al. (1996) Vancomycin-resistant entrococci from
genes that can alter the metabolic potential of a bacterial
nosocomial, community and animal sources in the United States.
cell Conjugal elements can also carry virulence
Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 40, 2605–2609
factors, such as toxin genes. For example, plasmids found
16 Moubareck, C. et al. (2003) Multiple antibiotic resistance gene
in Bacillus anthracis (pOX1 and pOX2) have made this
transfer from animal to human enterococci in the digestive tract ofgnotobiotic mice. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47, 2993–2996
species much more pathogenic than its very close relative
17 Doucet-Populaire, F. et al. (1992) Conjugal transfer of plasmid DNA
Bacillus cereus . Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague,
from Enterococcus faecalis to Escherichia coli in digestive tracts of
and Salmonella typhimurium strain LT2 have also
gnotobiotic mice. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 36, 502–504
acquired plasmids that make them virulent for humans.
18 Moore, W.E. and Holdeman, L.V. (1974) Human fecal flora: the normal
Perhaps the most spectacular example of horizontal gene
flora of 20 Japanese-Hawaiians. Appl. Microbiol. 27, 961–979
transfer to date is the 500 kbp conjugative transposon of
19 Salyers, A.A. (1993) Gene transfer in the mammalian intestinal tract.
Mesorhizobium loti strain R7A that carries genes import-
20 Tannock, G.W. et al. (1997) Effect of sodium taurocholate on the in
ant for symbiosis between the rhizobia and plants .
vitro growth of lactobacilli. Microb. Ecol. 33, 163–167
There are bacteria that have chromosomes that are only
21 Moore, W.E. et al. (1978) Some current concepts in intestinal
bacteriology. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 31, 33–42
w500 bp in size therefore the transfer of this largeconjugative transposon in soil is equivalent to the transfer
22 Salyers, A.A. (1984) Bacteroides of the human lower intestinal tract.
of an entire bacterial chromosome. However, despite all of
23 Reysset, G. et al. (1992) Genetic and molecular analysis of pIP417 and
this rampant ‘bacterial sex’, horizontal gene transfer does
pIP419: Bacteroides plasmids encoding 5-nitroimidazole resistance.
not appear to have homogenized bacteria. Genetic diver-
sity and a well-defined phylogenetic tree for bacteria are
24 Smith, C.J. et al. (1995) Nucleotide sequence determination and
still the rule rather than the exception
genetic analysis of the Bacteroides plasmid, pBI143. Plasmid 34,211–222
25 Trinh, S. et al. (1995) Plasmids pIP419 and pIP421 from Bacteroides:
5-nitroimidazole resistance genes and their upstream insertion
sequence elements. Microbiol. 141, 927–935
Much of the work described in this article was supported by a grant
26 Novicki, T.J. and Hecht, D.W. (1995) Characterization and DNA
(AI 22383) from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
sequence of the mobilization region of pLV22a from Bacteroidesfragilis. J. Bacteriol. 177, 4466–4473
27 Trinh, S. et al. (1996) Conjugal transfer of the 5-nitroimidazole
resistance plasmid pIP417 from Bacteroides vulgatus BV-17: charac-terization and nucleotide sequence analysis of the mobilization region.
1 van den Braak, N. et al. (1998) Molecular characterization of
vancomycin-resistant enterococci from hospitalized patients and
28 Trinh, S. and Reysset, G. (1997) Identification and DNA sequence of
poultry products in The Netherlands. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36,1927–1932
the mobilization region of the 5-nitroimidazole resistance plasmid
2 Teuber, M. et al. (1999) Acquired antibiotic resistance in lactic acid
pIP421 from Bacteroides fragilis. J. Bacteriol. 179, 4071–4074
bacteria from food. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 76, 115–137
29 Whittle, G. et al. (2002) The role of Bacteroides conjugative
3 Simonsen, G.S. et al. (1998) Transmission of VanA-type vancomy-
transposons in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. Cell.
cin-resistant enterococci and vanA resistance elements between
chicken and humans at avoparcin-exposed farms. Microb. Drug
30 Bedzyk, L.A. et al. (1992) Insertion and excision of Bacteroides
conjugative chromosomal elements. J. Bacteriol. 174, 166–172
4 Woodford, N. (1998) Glycopeptide-resistant enterococci: a decade of
31 Halula, M. and Macrina, F.L. (1990) Tn5030: a conjugative transposon
experience. J. Med. Microbiol. 47, 849–862
conferring clindamycin resistance in Bacteroides species. Rev. Infect.
5 Sullivan, A. et al. (2001) Effect of antimicrobial agents on the
Dis. 12 (Suppl. 2), S235–S242(Suppl. 2)
ecological balance of human microflora. Lancet Infect. Dis. 1, 101–114
32 Shoemaker, N.B. et al. (1989) Cloning and characterization of a
6 McDonald, L.C. et al. (1997) Vancomycin-resistant enterococci outside
Bacteroides conjugal tetracycline- erythromycin resistance element by
the health care setting: Prevalence, sources and public health
using a shuttle cosmid vector. J. Bacteriol. 171, 1294–1302
implications. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 3, 311–317
33 Weisblum, B. (1995) Erythromycin resistance by ribosome modifi-
7 Ferber, D. (2003) Antibiotic resistance: WHO advises kicking the
cation. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 39, 577–585
livestock antibiotic habit. Science 301, 1027
34 Shoemaker, N.B. et al. (1985) Evidence that the clindamycin-
8 Witte, W. (1998) Medical consequences of antibiotic use in agriculture.
erythromycin resistance gene of Bacteroides plasmid pBF4 is on a
transposable element. J. Bacteriol. 162, 626–632
9 Butaye, P. et al. (2003) Antimicrobial growth promoters used in animal
35 Shoemaker, N.B. et al. (2001) Evidence for extensive resistance gene
feed: effects of less well known antibiotics on gram-positive bacteria.
transfer among Bacteroides spp. and among Bacteroides and other
genera in the human colon. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67, 561–568
10 Huyke, M.M. et al. (1998) Multiple-drug resistant enterococci: the
36 Whittle, G. et al. (2001) Characterization of the 13 kb ermF region of
nature of the problem and an agenda for the future. Emerg. Infect. Dis.
Bacteroides conjugative transposon, CTnDOT. Appl. Environ. Micro-
11 Salyers, A.A. and McManus, P. (2002) Agricultural use of antibiotics:
37 Chung, W.O. et al. (1999) Host range of the ermF rRNA methylase
possible impact on antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. In
gene in bacteria of human and animal origin. J. Antimicrob. Che-
Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Development (Hughes, D. and
Anderson, D. eds), Harwood Academic Publishers
38 Salyers, A.A. and Amabile-Cuevas, C.F. (1997) Minireview: why are
12 Salyers, A.A. (2002) The Ecology of Antibiotic Resistance Genes,
antibiotic resistance genes so resistant to elimination? Antimicrob.
13 Aarestrup, F.M. et al. (2000) Associations between the use of
39 Shoemaker, N.B. et al. (1992) Evidence for natural transfer of a
antimicrobial agents for growth promotion and the occurence of
tetracycline resistance gene between bacteria from the human colon
resistance among Enterococcus faecium from broilers and pigs in
and bacteria from the bovine rumen. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58,
Denmark. Microbiol. Drug Resist. 6, 63–70
40 Salyers, A.A. and Shoemaker, N.B. (1996) Resistance gene transfer in
48 Farrow, K.A. et al. (2000) The macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B
anaerobes: new insights, new problems. Clin. Infect. Dis. 23 (Suppl. 1),
resistance determinant from Clostridium difficile 630 contains two
erm(B) genes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44, 411–413
41 Salyers, A.A. et al. (1995) In the driver’s seat: the Bacteroides
49 Stinear, T.P. et al. (2001) Enterococcal vanB resistance locus in
conjugative transposons and the elements they mobilize. J. Bacteriol.
anaerobic bacteria in human faeces. Lancet 357, 855–856
50 Salyers, A.A. and Shoemaker, N.B. (1997) Conjugative transposons.
42 Cooper, A.J. et al. (1996) The erythromycin resistance gene from the
Bacteroides conjugal transposon Tcr Emr 7853 is nearly identical to
51 de la Cruz, F. and Davies, J. (2000) Horizontal gene transfer and
ermG from Bacillus sphaericus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 40,
the origin of the species: lessons from bacteria. Trends Microbiol.
52 Sullivan, J.T. et al. (2002) Comparative sequence analysis of the
43 Monod, M. et al. (1987) Cloning and analysis of ermG, a new
symbiosis island of Mesorhizobium loti strain R7A. J. Bacteriol. 184,
macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance element from
Bacillus sphaericus. J. Bacteriol. 169, 340–350
53 Martinez-Romero, E. and Caballero-Mellado, J. (1996) Rhizobium
44 Jensen, L.B. et al. (1999) Presence of erm gene classes in gram-positive
phylogenies and bacterial genetic diversity. Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 15,
bacteria of animal and human origin in Denmark. FEMS Microbiol.
54 Salyers, A.A. and Whitt, D.D. (2002) Bacterial Pathogenesis, ASM
45 Nishijima, T. et al. (1999) Distribution of mefE and ermB genes in
macrolide-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae and their
55 Sullivan, J.T. and Ronson, C.W. (1998) Evolution of rhizobia by
variable suseptibility to various antibiotics. J. Antimicrob. Chemother.
acquisition of a 500-kb symbiosis island that intefrates into a phe-
tRNA gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 95, 5145–5149
46 Wang, Y. et al. (2003) A newly discovered Bacteroides conjugative
56 Freiberg, C. et al. (1997) Molecular basis of symbiosis between
transposon, CTnGERM1, contains genes also found in Gram-positive
Rhizobium and legumes. Nature 387, 394–401
Bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69, 4595–4603
57 Koonin, E.V. (2000) How many genes can make a cell: the minimal-
47 Gupta, A. et al. (2003) A new Bacteroides conjugative transpo-
gene-set concept. Annu. Rev. Genomics Hum. Genet. 1, 99–116
son that carries an ermB gene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69,
58 Wiener, P. et al. (1998) Evidence for transfer of antibiotic-resistance
genes in soil populations of streptomycetes. Mol. Ecol. 7, 1205–1216
Elsevier.com – Dynamic New Site Links Scientists to New Research & Thinking
Elsevier.com has had a makeover, inside and out. Designed for scientists’ information needs, the new site, launched in January, ispowered by the latest technology with customer-focused navigation and an intuitive architecture for an improved user experience andgreater productivity.
Elsevier.com’s easy-to-use navigational tools and structure connect scientists with vital information – all from one entry point. Users canperform rapid and precise searches with our advanced search functionality, using the FAST technology of Scirus.com, the free sciencesearch engine. For example, users can define their searches by any number of criteria to pinpoint information and resources. Search by aspecific author or editor, book publication date, subject area – life sciences, health sciences, physical sciences and social sciences – or byproduct type. Elsevier’s portfolio includes more than 1800 Elsevier journals, 2200 new books per year, and a range of innovativeelectronic products. In addition, tailored content for authors, editors and librarians provides up-to-the-minute news, updates onfunctionality and new products, e-alerts and services, as well as relevant events.
Elsevier is proud to be a partner with the scientific and medical community. Find out more about who we are in the About section: ourmission and values and how we support the STM community worldwide through partnerships with libraries and other publishers, andgrant awards from The Elsevier Foundation.
As a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and health information, Elsevier is dedicated to linking researchers and professionalsto the best thinking in their fields. We offer the widest and deepest coverage in a range of media types to enhance cross-pollination ofinformation, breakthroughs in research and discovery, and the sharing and preservation of knowledge. Visit us at Elsevier.com.
Elsevier. Building Insights. Breaking Boundaries.
In the early 1980s when the AIDS epidemic began, people living with HIV were not likely to live more than a few years. However, with the development of safe and effective drugs, HIV positive people now have longer and healthier lives. Currently available drugs do not cure HIV infection but they do prevent the development of AIDS. They can stop the virus being made in the body and this stops th
NURSE PRACTITIONER CLINICAL GUIDELINES MALE SERVICES COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES 101 UHLAND ROAD SAN MARCOS, TEXAS 78666 DISTRIBUTION: Copies of Nurse Practitioner Clinical Guidelines for Male Services were supplied to: Community Health Services Administrative Office Elgin Clinic Lockhart Clinic San Marcos – MLK Clinic Nurse Practitioners Coordinator of Clinical Staff