Community treatment with azithromycin for trachoma is not associated with antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae at 1 year.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if macrolide resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae will be a major concern in areas that receive annual mass azithromycin distributions for trachoma.


METHODS
A cross sectional survey was conducted of nasopharyngeal S pneumoniae isolates for susceptibility to azithromycin 1 year after administering a single dose of azithromycin to treat trachoma in a village in Nepal.


RESULTS
S pneumoniae was isolated from 50 (86%) of 57 nasopharyngeal cultures and no resistance to azithromycin was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors were unable to demonstrate that mass azithromycin therapy for trachoma produced macrolide resistant S pneumoniae that persists until the next scheduled annual treatment.
Gaynor
B D
BD
The Francis I Proctor Foundation and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, 94143, USA. bgaynor@itsa.ucsf.edu
Holbrook
K A
KA
Whitcher
J P
JP
Holm
S O
SO
Jha
H C
HC
Chaudhary
J S P
JS
Bhatta
R C
RC
Lietman
T
T
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D014141:Trachoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin