Antibiotic susceptibility and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae causing meningitis in Italy, 1997-1999.
Because few data are available in Italy regarding antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype distribution of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, meningeal isolates collected at Italian hospitals during the years 1997-1999 were studied. The 12 most common serogroups, representing > 85% of the isolates, were 14, 23, 6, 4, 3, 9, 19, 8, 1, 12, 18, and 7 (in order of frequency). The serogroups identified in children < 5 years old were more limited in number: 80% are included in the 7-valent conjugate vaccines. Penicillin resistance was observed in 14 (9.5%) of 148 strains and increased from 5% in the first part of the study to 13% in the last part. Only 2 strains were fully penicillin resistant, and these belonged to serotype 9V. Thirty percent of the strains, mostly belonging to serogroups 14 or 6 and carrying either the ermB or the mef genes, were resistant to erythromycin.
Pantosti
A
A
Laboratory of Bacteriology and Medical Mycology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. pantosti@iss.it
D'Ambrosio
F
F
Tarasi
A
A
Recchia
S
S
Orefici
G
G
Mastrantonio
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004917:Erythromycin