title: The evolving threat of antibiotic resistance in Europe: new data from the Alexander Project.
abstract: The Alexander Project was established in 1992 to examine the antimicrobial susceptibility of community-acquired lower respiratory tract bacterial pathogens to a range of compounds. Since then it has expanded both geographically and in the number of antimicrobial agents tested. Within Europe, the most recent data have confirmed that the prevalence of penicillin resistance among isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae is high in France and Spain, with both intermediate (MIC 0.12-1 mg/L) and resistant (MIC > or = 2 mg/L) phenotypes, and combined resistance rates of >50%. Macrolide resistance is increasing generally both among penicillin-resistant and penicillin-susceptible isolates of S. pneumoniae and its prevalence now exceeds that of penicillin resistance, overall (16.5% and 10.4%, respectively, in 1996; 21.9% and 14.1% in 1997; 16.5% and 11.6% in 1998). Beta-lactamase production was the principal mechanism of resistance observed among isolates of Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Genoa Medical School, Italy. schitogc@aleph.it
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Debbia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchese
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005060:Europe; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007769:Lactams; D018942:Macrolides; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D007769:Lactams; D018942:Macrolides