In this study, 18 Avibacterium paragallinarum isolates collected in Taiwan from 1990 to 2003 were serotyped and tested for resistance to antimicrobial agents. Serotyping revealed that 13 isolates were Page serovar A and 5 isolates were Page serovar C. More than 75% of the isolates were resistant to neomycin, streptomycin and erythromycin. The most common resistance pattern (15 isolates, 83.3%) was neomycin-streptomycin. Furthermore, 88.9% of the isolates were resistant to two or more antibiotics. About 72% of isolates contained plasmids (pYMH5 and/or pA14). Plasmid pYMH5 encoded functional streptomycin, sulfonamide, kanamycin and neomycin resistance genes and revealed significant homology to a broad host-range plasmid, pLS88. Plasmid pA14 encoded a putative MglA protein and RNase II, both of which might be associated with virulence. Furthermore, seven isolates showed haemocin activity. Plasmid pYMH5 is the first multidrug-resistance plasmid reported in A. paragallinarum and it may facilitate the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes between bacteria. The putative virulence plasmid pA14 and haemocin-like activity in A. paragallinarum indicate two possible mechanisms which might be responsible for the pathogenesis.