title: Antimicrobial resistance of 914 beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated from pharyngeal swabs in Spain: results of a 1-year (1996-1997) multicenter surveillance study. The Spanish Surveillance Group for Respiratory Pathogens.
abstract: A nationwide susceptibility surveillance study of beta-hemolytic streptococcal isolates from pharyngeal swabs obtained in 11 Spanish hospitals between May 1996 and April 1997 against 12 antibiotics was carried out. Of the isolates 86% (786 of 914 isolates) were group A and 8.4% (77 of 914 isolates) were group C. No resistance was found to beta-lactam antibiotics, but significant differences (P < 0.001) with respect to lack of susceptibility to macrolides were found between groups (27% for group A and 12% for group C) and between seasons (13.2% in summer and 31.7% in winter). Most of these isolates displayed the M phenotype (low-level resistance to erythromycin and susceptibility to clindamycin).
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baquero
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Rodríguez
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: de Lomas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aguilar
mesh_terms: D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification