Penicillin tolerance amongst non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolated from cases of pharyngitis.
Twenty-four strains of non-toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae biotype gravis from the throats of patients with pharyngitis/tonsillitis were assayed for susceptibility to penicillin and erythromycin using determination of MIC, MBC and time-kill curves. There were no differences between the MICs of penicillin for susceptible and tolerant strains. All but one strain had penicillin MBCs > or = 2 mg/L. Seventy-one per cent (17/24) of the strains were tolerant to penicillin. In contrast, all strains were susceptible to erythromycin (MIC < or = 0.016 mg/L). These aspects should be considered when choosing the therapy for treating non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae pharyngitis/tonsillitis.
von Hunolstein
C
C
Laboratorio di Batteriologia e Micologia Medica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy. cris.v.h@iss.it
Scopetti
F
F
Efstratiou
A
A
Engler
K
K
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D004917:Erythromycin