Evidence for natural horizontal transfer of tetQ between bacteria that normally colonize humans and bacteria that normally colonize livestock

Comparison of the DNA sequences from Prevotella bacterial species in the intestinal tracts and rumens of farm animals and from Bacteriodes in the human colonic microflora revealed the transfer of a horizontal tetracycline resistance gene, tet Q, between the bacterial genera in farm animals and man. The bacterial isolates with different geographic origin and taxonomy contained identical tet Q sequences.