In vivo protection of Fusobacterium necrophorum from penicillin by Bacteroides fragilis.

A mixed infection of Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium necrophorum was resistant to treatment with penicillin even though a pure F. necrophorum infection could be successfully treated with penicillin. Since B. fragilis alone did not produce infection, these results indicate that B. fragilis can protect F. necrophorum from penicillin in vivo. The extent of protection afforded by a strain of B. fragilis was related to its level of resistance to penicillin. Only a few cells of B. fragilis were required in the initial bacterial injection. Moreover, protection was demonstrated when B. fragilis cells were injected as late as 24 h after the F. necrophorum cells. Protection of F. necrophorum from penicillin by B. fragilis was also demonstrated in vitro.